WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) are announcing that northern Nevada has been included as part of a $400 million national investment to help conserve water, increase drought resilience in the West, and support farmers and ranchers. Earlier this year, Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto sent a letter pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for additional drought investments and resources for Nevada and other Western states. As part of this announcement, the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District is eligible to receive up to $15 million in funding from the Department of Agriculture to help Nevada farmers and ranchers continue production, and simultaneously conserve water. It will support water savings technologies and farming practices within the Irrigation District in the face of continued drought.
“Nevada ranchers and farmers are being impacted by the severe drought conditions we’re seeing due to the climate crisis,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “That’s why I’m proud to have secured funding for northern Nevada communities to help our farmers and ranchers continue their operations while conserving water.”
“I’ve been pushing the administration to do more to combat the devastating impacts of drought throughout the West, and I’m glad to see Nevada’s Truckee-Carson Irrigation District is on track to receive this critical funding to improve our water management,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll continue working to ensure that our farmers, ranchers, and Tribes in Nevada have access to these essential resources to protect our water supply and help them succeed.”
Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto have been leaders in the Senate working to combat drought. Earlier this year, both senators joined a letter calling on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry to address long-term drought in the Farm Bill. Senator Cortez Masto fought to deliver $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River in the Inflation Reduction Act that Senator Rosen also supported. Both senators also helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will continue to make a historic amount of funding available for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country over five years.
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