Clovis, N.M. — As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton traveled to Clovis, New Mexico today to announce $65 million for rural water projects in fiscal year 2024 through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Investments through Reclamation will support six projects already under construction or in the planning phase in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota, and follows $668 million previously announced for rural water projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, which Secretary Haaland and Commissioner Touton toured today, will receive $7 million in 2024 to continue the Raw Water Pipeline No. 1 that will transport a critical water supply from Ute Reservoir to approximately 70,000 people in the region who are currently impacted by a rapidly declining aquifer. The Jicarilla Apache Rural Water System in New Mexico will receive an additional $10 million to support design and construction of remaining project components as work nears completion.