THE US HOUSE APPROVES BIPARTISAN SENATE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

The US House of Representatives approved the Senate version of the bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.  This bill provides over $500 million in extra infrastructure funding going towards things like rural broadband, roads, bridges, and irrigation infrastructure.  This is separate and not to be confused with the more controversial reconciliation bill know as “Build Back Better”.  The following is the list of extra funded projects within the Bureau of Reclamation.  The total going to the Bureau is over $8 billion.  To put this into perspective, the normal Bureau appropriation is just over $1 billion a year. 

• $1.15 billion for surface and groundwater storage, and conveyance projects in accordance with Sec. 40902,

including $100 million for small surface and groundwater storage projects established in Sec. 40903.

• $3.2 billion for the Aging Infrastructure Account including certain allocations for projects as outlined in section 40904.

• $1 billion for Water Recycling including $450 million for the new authorized large water recycling project grant program established in Sec. 40905.

• $250 million for desalination projects.

• $1 billion for authorized Rural Water Projects.

• $500 million for the BOR Safety of Dams program.

• $300 million for Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan implementation as outlined in Sec. 40906.

• $250 million for the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program.

• $400 million for WaterSMART, including $100 million for natural infrastructure projects.

• $100 million for the Cooperative Watershed Management program.

• $100 million for Watershed enhancement projects pursuant to Sec. 40907.

• $50 million Colorado River Endangered Species Recovery and Conservation Programs