Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed a directive Tuesday that could allow local irrigation districts and other Bureau of Reclamation customers more say in managing their federally funded projects.
Citing the Trump administration’s focus on “unleashing American infrastructure” and “cutting unnecessary red tape,” Burgum asserted his Secretarial Order 3446 could benefit water and power users throughout the 17 Western states served by the bureau.
“By empowering local partners and simplifying federal processes, we can deliver water and power projects faster to make life more affordable for American families while strengthening economic growth throughout the West,” Burgum said.
A dam-raising project in California’s San Joaquin Valley will exemplify how the new system might work, according to an Interior Department news release.
