WaterSMART Program Receives Funding From the Senators’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) announcement that three Colorado ecosystem restoration projects would receive a total of $4.8 million in WaterSMART grant funding. This investment is made available through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Climate change isn’t a future condition in the West––it’s here now. As communities across our state face dwindling water resources and historic drought, I’m grateful that these investments will help Colorado’s nonprofit partners work with local governments to restore critical waterways and wildlife habitat,” said Bennet.
“Long-term drought is reshaping Colorado rivers, threatening the delicate ecosystems that make life in the West possible,” said Hickenlooper. “Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is empowering Colorado communities to protect them. Climate change isn’t a future condition in the West––it’s here now. As communities across our state face dwindling water resources and historic drought, I’m grateful that these investments will help Colorado’s nonprofit partners work with local governments to restore critical waterways and wildlife habitat.”
The WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects support ecosystem restoration efforts that increase water reliability, all developed through collaborative local efforts. The $4.8 million will fund three restoration projects on Boulder Creek, Willow Creek, and the Upper Colorado River.
A full list of selected Colorado projects is available below:
| Project Title | Location | Purpose | Funding Amount |
| Boulder Creek Headwaters Resiliency Project | Boulder | Restore 181 acres of degraded aquatic and riparian habitat along the Boulder Creek Watershed | $954,204 |
| Ecological Stream Restoration of Willow Creek | North Creede | Establish 2.2 acres of vegetated floodplain and restore 3,300 linear feet of Willow Creek to increase watershed resilience | $2,450,719 |
| Upper Colorado River Ecosystem Enhancement Project | Granby | Restore two stream reaches on the Fraser River and Willow Creek to create habitat for wildlife and improve stream function | $1,425,859 |