The climate and social spending package boosted funding levels for Western drought mitigation projects to an unprecedented level — one that water advocates in the region say the U.S. may never see again.
But how the Interior Department decides who gets what water from the dwindling resources in the West, particularly in the Colorado River Basin that is facing a drought crisis, could make or break the historic funding, experts say.
The budget reconciliation bill signed Aug. 16 by President Joe Biden provides $4 billion for Western drought and water projects. The money must be spent or locked into specific grants, contracts or financial agreements by Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation by Sept. 30, 2026. That boosts total funding for drought relief to $12.3 billion after the bipartisan infrastructure law provided $8.3 billion.
