Department of the Interior Directs $310 Million for Colorado River Canal Lining and Lake Mead Storage
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and the Bureau of Reclamation allocate $310 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to line earthen irrigation canals, automate diversion sluice gates, and conserve 400,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead across Arizona, California, and Nevada.
Choseno Water Resources Bureau August 25, 2026 2 min read DC, US
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WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton announced on Monday the commitment of $310 million in federal drought mitigation capital from the Inflation Reduction Act to line 120 miles of earthen agricultural irrigation canals, install acoustic flow-monitoring sensors, and preserve 400,000 acre-feet of water elevation in Lake Mead.
The investments fund long-term water efficiency projects across the Lower Colorado River Basin, partnering with agricultural water conservation districts in the Imperial Valley of California, the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Eliminating Canal Seepage and Protecting Hydropower Elevations In arid southwestern environments, unlined earthen canals lose up to 15% to 20% of their diverted water volume to subterranean soil seepage and rapid evaporation before reaching agricultural crop fields.
The $310 million federal program finances:
- 120 Miles of Heavy Geomembrane & Concrete Canal Liners: Eliminating water loss along major distribution laterals across the Imperial and Yuma agricultural districts.
- Automated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Gates: Replacing manually adjusted weir boards with automated solar-powered sluice gates adjusting flows based on real-time soil moisture telemetry.
- System Conservation Agreements: Securing compensated voluntary reductions that leave 400,000 acre-feet of conserved water in Lake Mead to protect the Hoover Dam's hydroelectric turbine operating intake buffers.
"The Colorado River Basin is experiencing the most severe aridification in twelve hundred years, and protecting this vital lifeline requires unprecedented collaboration and smart investments in water efficiency," Secretary Deb Haaland said during an announcement in Las Vegas. "By lining critical canals and modernizing irrigation technology, we are helping agricultural producers grow their crops with less water while keeping critical storage in Lake Mead to protect 40 million people across the West."
Western water resource managers and tribal leaders commended the infrastructure-first approach, noting that permanent structural conservation generates recurring water savings year after year without permanently retiring prime agricultural farmland.
