(TheConservativeTimes.org) – The United States government has said that they are dedicating sixty million dollars over the next few years to help the Rio Grande be more resilient to climate change. The funding is the first disbursement from the Inflation Reduction Act for a basin that’s not in the Colorado River System.
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland stated that the Colorado River systems have dominated headlines but that other communities need help too as they are experiencing drought. Haaland said that parts of the river have gone dry in the region of Albuquerque. Haaland said, “When drought conditions like this strike, we know it doesn’t just impact one community, it affects all of us.”
The Rio Grande provides water for millions of people and it supplies thousands of farmers with water for their crops. U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury said that improving sustainability in the Rio Grande will help supply water through Texas and into Mexico.
Irrigation districts will work alongside other organizations, including the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. They will work on things such as improving infrastructure and capturing more rainwater.
Officials have said that capturing rainwater and increasing storage can help recharge aquifers. Currently, the Rio Grande relies on groundwater pumping, and it has decreased efficiency as well as lost wildlife.
The Irrigation District has proposed multiple ideas to officials to save water and protect communities from flooding. Managers Gary Esslinger and Samantha Barncastle of the Irrigation district described their efforts as “re-plumbing” the area with irrigation and flood control systems.
Barncastle stated, “It’s quite a large vision, but it’s what everyone should be doing — thinking big is the only way to resolve the climate crisis.”
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