New Mexico is ready to receive more than $30 million in federal funding for water infrastructure projects.

The U.S. Department of the Interior recently announced that $585 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will go to 83 projects in 11 states, including six in New Mexico.

The New Mexico project is located along the Rio Grande River and includes:

• $7.1 million to rehabilitate the Bonita sidewalls of Kabaro Dam.
• $1.78 million to restore a restaurant patio in the Elephant Butte Historic District Recreation Area.
• $3.39 million to repair roads and parking lots in the same recreation area.
• $9.6 million to restore water infrastructure at Elephant Butte Recreation Area.
• $4 million to repair damaged concrete at the base of El Bad Dam.
• $4.5 million for research on improving the Lower Rio Grande Sun Acacia Basin. It aims to “improve water flow, maintain or increase habitat availability for endangered species, and make operations and maintenance activities more cost-effective.”

These investments come at a time when decades of drought have strained water resources in the western United States.

Federal officials toured Imperial Dams in California and Arizona and announced new investments in infrastructure.

“The president knows you can’t build a strong country without strong infrastructure,” Mitch Landrieu, the White House infrastructure deployment coordinator, said at a news conference. In the West, that means having a strong water infrastructure, he said.

Several projects that benefit New Mexico are listed under Colorado on the official sheet. These projects cross state borders. This includes $1.5 million for the removal and replacement of the Azotea tunnel exit for the San Juan Chama project. The San Juan Chama project begins in Colorado and carries water from the Colorado River Basin to the Rio Grande Basin through a series of tunnels, including the Azotea Tunnel. The exit of the Azotea Tunnel is located on the land of Jikarila Apache near Chama. This will provide municipalities like Albuquerque with access to the waters of the Colorado River Basin.

The Animas La Plata Project is also listed as a Colorado project. He will be paid $10.8 million for this project. The funds will be used to cover the design, construction, compliance and commissioning costs of the Navajo Nation’s municipal pipeline. The Animas La Plata Project includes Nighthorse Lake in Durango, Colorado. Water that benefits the Navajo is stored in Nighthorse Lake. Currently, the only way to get water from Nighthorse Lake to the Navajo is through the Headgate into the Animas River. This can lead to potential water loss, evaporation, and diversion through soil infiltration.

The Colorado project list also includes $56 million to finalize the planning, design and construction of a mine waste treatment plant and chemical storage building from the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel.

A complete list of funded projects can be found at: https://www.usbr.gov/bil/docs/infrastruct/FY-2023-Aging-Infrastructor-Projects.pdf.

Arizona

Colorado River Quay Works, Levee System: Palo Verde, Arizona Division embankment road repair

Landfill fund: $7.04 million

Rehabilitate about 4 miles. Gravel road with new aggregate base from Cibola Oxbow Bridge to Farmer’s Bridge.

Block Reservoir Front Bay/Back Bay Entrance

Gate repair/replacement

Landfill fund: $10.2 million

Pending non-destructive testing, replace all gates and frames or replace bronze sheets, refurbish frames and leaves, install cathodic protection, and reduce operational and maintenance costs to coat metal. Please implement the recommendations. Planned funding reflects rebuilding through implementation of recommendations.

Yuma Project: High Density Replacement of polyethylene pipes for Yuma County water supply User drainage system

Landfill fund: $6.5 million

This project will finance the replacement of all or part of the aging and damaged HDPE advanced drainage system pipes installed (in the mid-1990s) during the expansion of Highway 95 in the Yuma area. This pipe consistently fails, resulting in leaks that often reach the surface, requiring unplanned shutdowns of the system for proper repairs.

Laguna Dam Settling Basin Dredging

Landfill fund: $4 million

This project will finance the partial dredging of the Laguna Dam settling basin.

Colorado

Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel: Leadville Treatment Plant mine construction

Wastewater treatment facility and chemical storage building

Landfill fund: $56 million

The funds will complete the planning, design and subsequent construction.

San Juan Chama Project: Upper Colorado River Storage Project Azotea Tunnel Exit Transition and Fall Structures

Landfill fund: $1.5 million

Remove and replace the Azotea tunnel exit transition and remove and replace the four existing drop structures due to deterioration.

Animas La Plata Project: Navajo Municipal Pipeline

Landfill fund: $10.8 million

New alignment design/construction/compliance/commissioning costs to reduce risk of future landslide damage in Navajo Nation municipal pipelines.

new mexico

Rio Grande Project: Lateral Upgrade of Caballo Dam and Bonita Reservoir

Landfill fund: $7.1 million

Rio Grande — Bonita Aspect Upgrade Ratings are based on the expected life of the Bonita pipes. If deemed necessary, the remaining funds will be used for pipe replacement or relining as recommended by the assessment.

Rio Grande Project: Elephant Butte Historic District Recreation Area Restaurant, Patio

Landfill fund: $1.78 million

Complete survey, design and estimate to fix your restaurant patio.Repair work for foundations, drainage, buildings, roofs, solar panels, etc.

Rio Grande Project: Elephant Butte Historic District Roads and Parking

Rehabilitation turnaround fund: $3.39 million

Rehabilitation of internal roads and parking lots in the Elephant Butte Historic District. The project includes all interior roads and parking lots in the historic district.

Rio Grande Project: Water Infrastructure Rehabilitation at Elephant Butte Recreation Area

Landfill fund: $9.6 million

Remove existing cast iron piles, reroute water lines to bypass old tanks, install a lift station, three new low-profile tanks, and upgrade electrical distribution system lines.

Central Rio Grande Project: El Vado Dam and Reservoir Rehabilitation

Landfill fund: $4 million

Repair the damaged concrete at the bottom of the still water pond in the Elvad Dam’s tailrace to prevent further damage.

Middle Rio Grande Project: Improving the Rio Grande Channelization Lower Sun Acacia Reach

Landfill fund: $4.5 million

This project is an ad hoc maintenance of an existing asset aimed at improving water drainage, maintaining or increasing habitat availability for endangered species, and increasing the cost effectiveness of operations and maintenance activities.Funding will be provided to complete planning studies