U.S. Interior Department officials say a study designed to mitigate sediment in two reservoirs on the Verde River is among several projects set to receive federal funding from last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The agency will provide $5 million as part of a cost share to attempt to restore 46,000 acre-feet of water storage that’s been lost because of the accumulation of sediment in Horseshoe and Bartlett reservoirs.
It would also examine ways to increase storage capacity to mitigate the impacts of drought and climate change on water availability.
The funding is part of $210 million in spending from last year’s Infrastructure law that’ll be allocated to drinking water projects in five western states including Arizona, California and Colorado.
The efforts are expected to develop more than 1.7 million acre-feet of water storage capacity, which is enough to support nearly 7 million people.