Western water interests secure hidden carve-out in infrastructure spending
S. 1257 — A bill to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, and for other purposes. · Filed by James Risch (R-ID) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Apr 2, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to allow the federal government to use certain infrastructure funds to rehabilitate, reconstruct, or replace dams built under the Carey Act (an 1894 law governing irrigation dam development). The Secretary of the Interior may fund these dam projects once existing Carey Act dams have received sufficient funding and money remains available in the designated infrastructure account.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism redirects existing IIJA infrastructure funds to a narrower category of projects (Carey Act dams) without establishing new appropriations or public criteria for selection. It is a reallocation rider, not a new program.
- Redirects IIJA section 40901(2)(B) funds from general infrastructure to Carey Act dam projects, narrowing eligible uses without explicit authorization in original IIJA.
What the text implies
- The bill does not specify which Carey Act dams are eligible or how many exist, leaving the scope of fund reallocation opaque to Congress and the public.
- Secretary's discretion to make 'affirmative determinations' is unconstrained by timeline, cost caps, or environmental review standards, potentially allowing rapid fund commitment without public notice.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
irrigation districts and water authorities operating Carey Act dams; construction and engineering firms hired for dam rehabilitation