News Release Archive

Bureau of Reclamation Announces $3.247 Million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding for Hydraulic Dredge to Perform Colorado River Channel Maintenance

Media Contact: Doug Hendrix , (702) 293-8421, 07/14/2010 15:53

For Release: July 14, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bureau of Reclamation, an agency in the Department of the Interior, has awarded a $3,247,000 contract to Ellicott Dredges, LLC, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the purchase of new hydraulic dredge for use in support of Colorado River channel maintenance.

Under this award, Ellicott Dredges, LLC, a Baltimore-based contractor, will design and build a large-scale hydraulic dredge for use by Reclamation's Yuma Area Office to remove accumulated silt and sediment from backwaters and settling basins along the lower Colorado River near Imperial and Laguna Dams.

"Removal of accumulated sediment from the lower stretches of the Colorado River is an ever present issue and challenge," said Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor. "Keeping the channel clear of accumulated sediment through regular dredging operations will enhance Reclamation's ability to provide irrigators along the All-American and Gila Gravity Main canals with reliable water supplies."

The Bureau of Reclamation manages the channel, banklines, jetties, wash fans, training structures, gates, bridges, levees, and access roads for the 276 river miles of the lower Colorado River from Davis Dam to the border with Mexico. Maintenance focuses on both reliable water delivery as well as protection from flooding. Accumulated sediment is an ongoing issue, and is periodically removed from settling basins and backwaters through large scale dredging operations.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enacted last year gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior.

The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures - our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage - while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.

"With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery . Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior's Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.