The Interior Department is providing $889 million in infrastructure funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to water projects across six states, including several in California.
Five California water infrastructure projects are set to see $540 million in new funding as part of a program aimed at expanding storage and modernizing infrastructure, according to a press release published by the Interior Department on Tuesday. Another $349 million will go to projects in five other states.
"These investments strengthen our nation’s water security, modernize aging infrastructure and support the farmers, communities and industries that depend on reliable water supplies," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in the release. "By helping ensure strong agricultural production and efficient water delivery, this investment also supports more stable and affordable food prices for American families.”
The funding comes from a $1 billion allocation the Bureau of Reclamation received through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the reconciliation bill Congress approved last year.
The agency's California allotments include $235 million for rehabilitating the upper portion of the the Delta-Mendota canal, $200 million for subsidence correction efforts along the Friant-Kern Canal, $50 million for addressing subsidence issues in the San Luis Canal, $15 million for increasing flow rates at the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority pumping plant, and $40 million for helping to raise Shasta Dam.
A $30 million award will go toward a conveyance and pump storage project at Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District, while $11 million will be used for a siphon lining project in Bell Fourche, South Dakota.
The agency is doling out $100 million to help replace the 110-year-old Highline Canal in Utah, and another $100 million for repairs to the Fort Laramie Tunnels in southeast Wyoming.
Two projects are receiving funding in North Dakota. The Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project, which aims to bolster water supplies in central and eastern North Dakota, will receive $100 million. Another $8 million will go to the Garrison Diversion Unit for canal and pumping plant repairs.
In a statement, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia praised the announcement, saying Central Valley farmers are "grateful" for the investments.
“We are excited to see federal water infrastructure funds being deployed to address critical canal system deficiencies to ensure reliability for California farmers served by those systems," Puglia said.
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
