Rep. Lee Announces $900,000 WaterSMART Grant to Improve Water Supply Sustainability in Southern Nevada

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) announced that the Department of the Interior (DOI) has awarded Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) $900,000 in WaterSMART grant funding, provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law, to support the restoration of the Las Vegas Wash. The competitive WaterSMART program provides funding for projects that will improve water use efficiency, reduce the risk of water conflicts and enhance water supply sustainability in the western United States.

"The ongoing drought continues to be an existential threat to Nevada and the entire western United States, and WaterSMART grants play a critical role in ensuring that we can strengthen our infrastructure and keep water in Lake Mead for our families," said Rep. Lee. "I'm proud to have played a key role in negotiating the infrastructure law to secure this funding, and I'll keep working to make sure that Nevadans continue to have access to safe, clean water."

"The Las Vegas Wash plays a significant role in Southern Nevada's community-wide water recycling practices by conveying more than 200 million gallons of highly treated wastewater each day through its wetlands before returning it to Lake Mead," said John Entsminger, SNWA General Manager. "These funds will help further enhance the Wash's wetlands within the Clark County Wetlands Park, protecting habitat for threatened and endangered species and reducing erosion to improve water quality in Lake Mead."

In her position on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Lee secured an increase of $21 million in FY21 funding as well as an additional increase of $16 million in FY22 funding for the Drought Response Program in the WaterSMART program to assist water managers develop and implement projects that will help build long-term water resiliency.

You can read more about WaterSMART funding here.

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