Colorado Receives $47 Million in Delayed Drought Mitigation Funding
The federal government has released $47 million in funding to support drought mitigation projects across Colorado, addressing severe dry conditions and challenges in the Colorado River Basin. This funding, originally promised over a year ago, will be allocated to stream restoration, wetland reconstruction, and other critical initiatives. The funds are part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) but were delayed due to an executive order signed by President Trump in January 2025, which froze IRA-related spending. The projects include the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project, drought-resilient infrastructure in the Southwest, and endangered species recovery efforts. Despite this progress, over $90 million in federal drought preparedness funding for Colorado remains pending, including $40 million earmarked for the Shoshone water rights purchase. The Bureau of Reclamation has not provided a clear explanation for the delay but stated that projects were assessed based on specific criteria before releasing fun...