BIDEN SENDS MONEY TO FIGHT DROUGHTS

Since the beginning of the 21st century, droughts have plagued the western United States. According to the official U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) program, severe droughts affected over 80% of western land area at their recent peak in 2021.

Although water shortages are especially prominent in the Southwest, Oregon has also experienced continuous droughts since 2020. As shown in an updated map released by the USDM April 6, 13 of Oregon’s 36 counties are currently experiencing moderate-to-severe drought levels (despite our rather wet winter and spring so far this year). This affected area accounts for roughly half of Oregon’s land.

Such prolonged droughts and their consequences have forced the federal government to respond, which it did earlier this month.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced on April 5 that it would provide nearly $585 million in funding for various water infrastructure projects across 11 western states. They are Oregon, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.

A total 83 projects will receive funding. They include those aimed at improving drought resilience, water treatment, and hydropower, among other purposes. According to a White House press release issued by Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, “(D)elivering much-needed repairs to aging dams and other water infrastructure is part of our whole-of-government approach to making communities more resilient to drought.”

This funding comes as part of the Congress-approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, most commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, 2021. The official White House website notes the bill authorizes over $500 billion across the five years in funding for “federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience, internet, and more.”

Of the spending authorized in the bill, more than $50 billion is dedicated to water infrastructure in the western states. The $585 million announced on April 5 is a tiny fraction of the support the western United States can expect in the years to come – but an important “drop in the bucket” when it comes to dealing with drought problems.

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