Secretary Salazar Announces Award of $36.2 Million to Gila River Indian Community under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation is providing $36.2 million to the Gila River Indian Community under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The Community, located approximately 30 miles south of Phoenix, Ariz., will use the funding to contract for the construction of approximately 13.1 miles of new, concrete-lined canal and associated check structures, accelerating completion of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) component of its Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project (P-MIP). The P-MIP will ultimately enable the Community to serve up to 146,000 acres of land a year with irrigation water.

"This investment will help restore water resources to the Community, boost the local economy and help farmers, businesses and families within the Community get the water they need to thrive," Secretary Salazar said.

The purposes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are, among others, to quickly and prudently commence activities that preserve and create jobs and to promote economic recovery, and to invest in infrastructure providing long-term economic benefits. Recovery Act funding must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2010.

Secretary Salazar has pledged quick and responsible implementation of the $3 billion in recovery funds that will be used by the Department of the Interior and its agencies.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force. Henderson and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior's Inspector General to ensure that the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency that President Obama has set.