News Release Archive

Bureau of Reclamation Awards Nine Projects $2.1 Million for Planning Activities in the Development of WaterSMART Water Marketing Strategies

Projects in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington were selected to help establish or expand water markets or water marketing transactions

Media Contact: Peter Soeth, 303-445-3615, psoeth@usbr.gov

For Release: September 05, 2017

A canal moving water. Canals like this one may be used to move water in a water market.WASHINGTON - Bureau of Reclamation Acting Commissioner Alan Mikkelsen announced that nine projects will receive $2.1 million for planning activities to help establish or expand water markets or water marketing transactions. The nine projects are located in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

"Through water markets, willing buyers and sellers come together to share the water within their delivery area," Mikkelsen said. "Water managers need a variety of tools to manage water to assure a sustainable supply into the future. Water markets are just one of those tools."

The full description of the selected projects is available at https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/weeg/watermarketing.html. The selected projects are:

Central Oregon Irrigation District (Oregon)
Reclamation Funding: $400,000 Total Project Cost: $800,000

East Bay Municipal Utility District (California)
Reclamation Funding: $400,000 Total Project Cost: $1,062,127

El Dorado County Water Agency (California)
Reclamation Funding: $400,000 Total Project Cost: $842,218

Grand Valley Water Users Association (Colorado)
Reclamation Funding: $128,000 Total Project Cost: $265,900

Kittitas Reclamation District (Washington)
Reclamation Funding: $198,990 Total Project Cost: $433,154

Lower South Platte Water Conservancy (Colorado)
Reclamation Funding: $236,245 Total Project Cost: $708,961

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Idaho)
Reclamation Funding: $42,887 Total Project Cost: $85,775

The New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company, Inc. (Colorado)
Reclamation Funding: $192,950 Total Project Cost: $397,705

Warm Springs Water and Power Enterprises (Oregon)
Reclamation Funding: $172,062 Total Project Cost: $344,124

Water marketing strategy grants are used to conduct planning activities in developing a water marketing strategy. Water marketing refers to water rights transactions and includes the lease, sale or exchange of water rights undertaken in accordance with state and federal laws between willing buyers and sellers.

WaterSMART aims to improve water conservation and sustainability, helping water resource managers make sound decisions about water use. The program identifies strategies to ensure this generation and future ones will have sufficient amounts of clean water for drinking, economic activities, recreation and ecosystem health. To learn more, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart.

# # #

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.