The Department of the Interior recently announced that leaders from the Imperial Irrigation District in California, Bard Water District in California, Metropolitan Water District also in California, and Gila River Indian Community in Arizona met in Santa Fe, New Mexico with the Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner, Camille Calimlim Touto, to sign five water conservation agreements that leverage funding from President Biden's Investing in America Agenda to secure the safety and longevity of the Colorado River System.

 
While the Colorado River Basin provides water for over 40 million people, hydropower for seven states, and 5.5 million acres of agriculture, short-term goals like conserving over 717,000 acre-feet of water by 2026 with the Imperial Irrigation District, Bard Water District and Metropolitan Water District are vital to the long-term conservation of the resource.
"The Biden-Harris administration is committed to making western communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "With transformational resources provided through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is collaborating with states, Tribes and partners to make smart investments to strengthen the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System to support the families, farmers and ecosystems that rely on this vital basin."

Additionally, the Gila River Indian Community joined the first long-term agreements that could mark over 73,000 acre-feet of water savings across the next decade.