A historic drought in the West is drying up water resources in the seven western U.S. states dependent on the Colorado River Basin. Now the Biden administration is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to try and conserve water from the Colorado River as its reservoirs continue to be depleted.
A Native American tribe in Arizona reached a deal with the U.S. government to not use some of its Colorado River water rights in exchange for $150 million to build a pipeline. That pipeline will serve as a resource to reuse water on its land.
The White House is investing an overall $343 million into projects meant to enhance tribal water resources and reduce water demand.
The Colorado River has been shrinking for 23 years, which impacts major reservoirs like Lake Mead.
The funds will come from the Inflation Reduction Act. The White House has promised to use $4 billion for drought relief.
The partnership between the Gila River Indian Community and the federal government comes as the federal agency that controls the Colorado River will announce its own conservation plans. The plans are for the seven Colorado River Basin states to follow in order to use less water ahead of the warm and dry season of summer.
