Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that the University of Nevada, Reno will receive a $149,923 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to combat drought by creating a “Nevada Water” partnership to develop solutions to water needs in the state. The partnership will include public, private, tribal, nonprofit, and other groups that will work together on sustainable water projects.
“Nevada has endured two decades of drought, and we must prepare for continued challenges caused by climate change and a drier West. I’ve consistently worked in the Senate to find sustainable solutions to Nevada’s water issues, and I’m pushing for every federal resource Nevada can get to address drought long-term.”
Senator Cortez Masto has worked throughout her Senate career to combat drought. She secured support for water infrastructure in the bipartisan infrastructure law, including legislation she drafted to create a $450 million competitive grant program for large-scale water recycling projects across the Western U.S. This new program could help fund a regional water recycling project that will produce enough water to serve more than 500,000 households in Southern Nevada and California. Earlier this year, Senator Cortez Masto pushed for the Senate to protect Nevada’s drinking water through the Senate passage of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act. Senator Cortez Masto was also instrumental in passing the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act. The legislation was signed into law on April 16, 2019, and requires the Department of the Interior to carry out the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan signed by the seven Colorado River Basin states, including Nevada.
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