News Release Archive

Reclamation Awards Water Conservation Grants

Media Contact: Colleen Dwyer, 702-293-8456, cdwyer@lc.usbr.gov

For Release: August 26, 2005

The Bureau of Reclamation recently awarded more than $260,000 in grants for water conservation projects in Nevada, Arizona and southwest Utah.

The grants were awarded through the Reclamation Water Conservation Field Services Program (WCFSP) to demonstrate active support for local water conservation efforts and encouragement for efficient use of water supplies. WCFSP assists in developing effective water management and conservation plans; promotes and supports water conservation public outreach; demonstrates conservation technologies; and encourages and promotes implementation of water efficiency measures.

"Water conservation is crucial to the prudent and economic management of our water resources," said Reclamation's Lower Colorado Regional Director Bob Johnson. "It is a management tool that can help make our water supplies stretch further, and Reclamation is proud to partner with these entities to help them with their water resource needs."

Grant Recipients The City of Bullhead City, Arizona, was awarded $25,000, with a recipient match of $25,000, to implement a Landscape Rebate Program. According to the City, the rebate program will encourage property owners to convert their grass to low-water-use plants, which the City estimates could ultimately reduce its annual water usage by 21.4 acre-feet.

Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) in St. George, Utah, was awarded $35,000, with a recipient match of $35,000, to implement two water conservation programs from the WCWCD Water Management and Conservation Plan. These activities will save approximately 93 acre-feet of water per year and provide technical water conservation training to about 1,000 people per year, according to the District's plan.

The City of Henderson, Nevada, Parks and Recreation Department, was awarded $88,000, with a recipient match of $125,000, to implement Phase 3 of its turf conversion program. This grant will directly fund a minimum of three turf removal projects totaling 41,378 square-feet, saving up to 2,565,436 gallons of water annually.

The City of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was awarded $52,974, with a recipient match of $52,974, to update its five-year water conservation plan and complete its 2000-2005 plan. To date, the City reports savings from implementation of this water conservation plan of approximately 978 acre-feet per year.

The Conservation District of Southern Nevada (CDSN), in Las Vegas, Nevada, was awarded $60,000, with a recipient match of $99,500, to partner with the Clark County School District to demonstrate a new subsurface turf irrigation system with an estimated water savings of 25-30% over traditional sprinkler irrigation. Upon completion of a one-year demonstration, CDSN will coordinate a workshop to enable conservation education and technology transfer.

To qualify for the Reclamation grants, a minimum cost-share of 50 percent was required for submitted proposals to be considered. A Request for Proposals (RFP) for fiscal year 2006 WCFSP grants is anticipated in September. Interested parties are encouraged to go to www.grants.gov and register to be notified when the RFP is posted.

"Water conservation efforts in the Lower Colorado Regional Area are crucial to prudently and economically managing the water resources of the Colorado River," said Tina Mullis, Lower Colorado Regional Water Resources Program Manager.

In addition to the Boulder City Regional Office, Reclamation offices in Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona, and Temecula, California, also manage WCFSP programs. For additional information about the WCFSP, visit the web site at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g2000/wtrconsv.html, or contact Mullis at 702-293-8139.

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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.