Bureau of Reclamation offers $10 million loan to North Unit Irrigation District to replace old fish screens
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The U.S. Interior Department announced Wednesday a $585 million investment in water delivery system repairs across the West, including making a $10 million loan available to the North Unit Irrigation District for replacing two aging fish screens on its main canal in Bend.
Four Oregon projects received funding, all from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, including the $10 million loan offer to the North Unit district to rehabilitate or replace the two antiquated primary fish screens at the main canal headworks in Bend. District General Manager Josh Bailey noted they date back to the 1940s.
In its award announcement, BOR said fish exclusion from the canal is necessary to meet current Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife requirements, as well as future requirements of the Deschutes River’s habitat conservation plan.
Bailey said he will present information about the loan award to the irrigation district board next week and noted that it would need to be fully repaid. The district also is exploring a variety of other funding options, he said.
Here's the full Interior Department release:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $585 Million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Repair Aging Water Infrastructure, Advance Drought Resilience
Funding will be provided to 83 projects in 11 states to increase drought resilience and improve water delivery systems
YUMA, Ariz. — Today during a visit to the Imperial Dam, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton announced a nearly $585 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for infrastructure repairs on water delivery systems throughout the West. Funding will go to 83 projects in 11 states to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydro power generation and provide water treatment.
The visit to the Colorado River Basin’s Imperial Dam – which is receiving $8.24 million in fiscal year 2023 – is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America tour to highlight the opportunities that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are creating.
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making a historic investment to provide clean, reliable water to families, farmers and Tribes,” said Deputy Secretary Beaudreau. “As we work to address record drought and changing climate conditions throughout the West, these investments in our aging water infrastructure will conserve community water supplies and revitalize water delivery systems.”
“President Biden is investing in America, and today’s announcement delivering much needed repairs to aging dams and other water infrastructure is part of our whole-of-government approach to making communities more resilient to drought,” said Senior Advisor Landrieu.
“These projects have been identified through a rigorous process and is a testament to the Bureau of Reclamation’s commitment to deliver water to future generations,” said Commissioner Touton. “As we manage through changing climate, we must look to the safety of our projects to ensure that we can continue to provide clean, reliable water to communities, irrigators, and ecosystems across the west.”
The projects selected for funding today are found in all the major river basins and regions where Reclamation operates. Among the 83 projects selected for funding are efforts to increase canal capacity, provide water treatment for Tribes, replace equipment for hydropower production and provide necessary maintenance to aging project buildings. Projects will be funded in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering historic resources to communities to help advance drought resilience and strengthen local economies. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $8.3 billion for Reclamation water infrastructure projects over five years to advance drought resilience and expand access to clean water for families, farmers and wildlife. The investment will repair aging water delivery systems, secure dams, complete rural water projects, and protect aquatic ecosystems. The Inflation Reduction Act is investing another $4.6 billion to address the worsening crisis. Combined these two initiatives represent the largest investments in climate resilience in the nation’s history and provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the work of the Interior Department.
Today’s announcement builds on $240 million allocated through the Law in fiscal year 2022. The next application period for extraordinary maintenance funds is expected in October 2023.
Detailed information on Reclamation programs and funding provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available on Reclamation’s website.
