The federal government will allocate nearly $730 million in infrastructure funding to drought relief efforts in the West.
The money will support water conservation projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Supporters like Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema say it’ll strengthen water security as the Southwest experiences its worst drought in 1,200 years.
Last month, six of the seven basin states, including Arizona, released a proposal to keep more water in Lake Mead.
California, which has the oldest and largest water rights, released its own plan.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says it needs to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water a year in order to ensure the operation of Glen and Hoover dams and prevent an even deeper crisis on the river.
