Irrigation Projects in Indian Country
Irrigation Projects in Indian Country

Author: United States Congress

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-09-27

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 9781977714633

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Irrigation projects in Indian country : hearing before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, second session, September 10, 2014.

Irrigation Projects in Indian Country
Irrigation Projects in Indian Country

Author: United States. Congress

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-12-09

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 9781981546725

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Irrigation projects in Indian country : hearing before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, second session, September 10, 2014.

Irrigation Projects in Indian Country
Irrigation Projects in Indian Country

Author: Committee on Committee on Indian Affairs United States Senate

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-05-08

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 9781512067682

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Irrigation systems are vitally important for economic development on a number of reservations in this Country. Often these systems benefit both Indian and non-Indian communities. There are over 100 irrigation systems across Indian Country that are owned and managed by the Department of Interior. These systems range in size, the smallest may focus on only subsistence farming while some of the larger projects can span tens of thousands of acres of critical components for the tribal economies that they serve. All together, these irrigation systems reach about 1 billion acres. A smaller set of revenue-generating irrigation projects make up the bulk of that acreage, and BIA estimates that the projects lead to about $300 million worth of agricultural crops grown each year. While these irrigation projects are important to reservation economies, they have been allowed to deteriorate for decades. In 2006, a GAO study found that these projects had hundreds of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance needs. More recent estimates by the BIA place the maintenance needs at about $600 million.

S. 438, the Irrigate Act
S. 438, the Irrigate Act

Author: Committee on Indian Affairs United States Senate

Publisher:

Published: 2015-10-10

Total Pages: 82

ISBN-13: 9781517743178

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In the late 1880s and early 1890s, the Department of Interior initiated irrigation projects across Indian reservations in the west. These irrigation projects were intended to be a central component for tribal economies. Construction of these projects ended sometime in the 1940s and many irrigation projects were never fully completed. In 2006, the Government Accountability Office found many of these projects were plagued by maintenance issues, structural deficiencies and insufficient funding for project operations. Many ranchers and farmers, both Indian and non-Indian, still depend on the Bureau of Indian Affairs to deliver water for their needs. While the Bureau has indicated the current backlog costs exceed $567 million, some Indian tribes have estimated it may be even higher than that, much higher. Careful management of the water in Indian communities is essential if we are to ensure a reliable supply for the future. The IRRIGATE Act would bring the Indian irrigation projects into the 21st century. It would authorize $35 million each year beginning in fiscal year 2016 until fiscal year 2036 to begin addressing the deferred maintenance needs. The Federal Government's promises to Indian country to build and maintain irrigation projects needs to be fulfilled. This bill is a start in the right direction.