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At Least 11 Dead After Severe Flooding Sweeps The South; Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power; Abandoned Mine Land program frozen as Appalachia faces severe flooding; Solar power gives MN resort new blood, new life.

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Top Trump officials set to meet with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia over the Ukraine war. The GOP budget resolution is at risk as moderates weigh out consequences. New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he's "going nowhere."

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Colorado taps $5.6 million Bipartisan Infrastructure dollars for water projects

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Wednesday, August 14, 2024   

The Biden Administration is investing $105 million in water conservation and efficiency projects meant to shore up drought resilience, including more than $5.5 million for projects in Larimer, Montezuma, Montrose and Otero counties.

Zachary Hoylman, assistant state climatologist, said protecting water resources now and in the future will be critical for the nation's farmers and ranchers.

"Conservation is a really important piece of building resiliency," Hoylman explained. "Especially in an era of increasing variability in the climate system and longer term changes to the climate system."

The projects will optimize water deliveries to agricultural users, mitigate the risks of ditch failures by installing pipes, and install smart water meters. Shovel-ready projects in 11 states including Colorado are projected to save more than 111,000 acre-feet of water annually. One acre-foot is equal to more than 325,000 gallons of water, enough to cover a football field with one foot of water.

Hoylman pointed out there are many benefits to improving water transport efficiencies but it is also important to consider broader impacts. If you transport water by pipe instead of by ditch, it may be more efficient but it could also be taking water away from wetlands and waterfowl habitat.

"We can't only think about the human, socio-economic system," Hoylman argued. "There is really important feedback between the way that we divert water and the implications for ecology and ecosystems as a whole."

The investment taps funding allocated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. The Bureau of Reclamation is investing a total of $8.3 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including rural water, water storage, conservation and conveyance, nature-based solutions, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination.


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