PHOENIX — A project agreement between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and the Yavapai-Apache Nation was recently signed to solidify federal support for a wastewater treatment plant on the Nation’s reservation at Camp Verde, Arizona.
Representatives from the Nation, the Los Angeles District and Arizona Congressman Greg Stanton’s office celebrated the signing of the agreement during a Dec. 16 ceremony in Phoenix.
The Yavapai-Apache Nation is the second tribal nation in Arizona to receive federal funding for design and construction assistance for a project under the Section 595 Environmental Infrastructure Program.
The Section 595 program provides a federal investment in a state’s critical water infrastructure projects addressing climate challenges, which include extreme heat, prolonged drought, wildfires and flash flooding. The program provides critical assistance to communities and tribal nations across Arizona to address their aging water and wastewater systems.
The planned project will replace a three-cell facultative lagoon facility, located on the Yavapai-Apache Reservation at Camp Verde, with a newly constructed wastewater treatment system with the goal of providing a sustainable treatment method that will improve the overall health, sanitation and security for the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the environment and all communities that rely on the Verde River.
“The Yavapai-Apache Nation, under the Section 595 Environmental Infrastructure Program, has worked a long time to make this specific project happen … to get to this stage,” said Col. Andrew Baker, USACE LA District commander. “This is a critical way point on an important journey that we are traveling together. We are excited to be here signing this project agreement today.”
Tanya Lewis, chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona, expressed her gratitude to both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Congressman Greg Stanton, stating this project will provide benefits to the Nation and its land.
“Thank you for supporting this endeavor,” Lewis said. “It’s great … for our people, for the land and for the preservation that we work very hard toward, as we should lead by example, which this will do for the Verde Valley, and, to also protect our last free-flowing river — the Verde River, which goes right through our homeland. That’s the overall goal, to make sure we protect Mother Nature and that we take care of it, before it takes care of us.”
Today, more than $47 million in federal funds has been delivered through Congressman Greg Stanton’s Arizona Environmental Infrastructure Program to more than two dozen projects across the state, said Chelsea Rivas, district director for Congressman Greg Stanton with Arizona’s 4th District.
“We all know how important water is to our tribal communities, and today, we are thrilled to deliver $3 million for the nation to construct a new wastewater treatment plant, which is a key part of the Nation’s effort to protect and preserve its water and meet its growing wastewater treatment demands,” she said. “By your example, I hope more tribal communities will take advantage of this authority to help address their water infrastructure needs.”
ABOUT THE SECTION 595 ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM
The 595 Program is a section within the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 under the Environmental Infrastructure, Resource Protection and Development Program. Congress authorized and appropriated funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers environmental infrastructure assistance for the design and construction of certain infrastructure in specified municipalities, counties and states.
The 595 program is a cost-share program — using 75 percent federal and 25 percent nonfederal funds. The U.S. Corps of Engineers can engage in design, construction or both for projects under this program. This assistance supports different projects at publicly owned and operated facilities. Projects include construction of water distribution works, stormwater management, surface water protection and environmental restoration, among others.
Arizona and rural Nevada were not covered under Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999. In December of 2020, a law was passed authorizing $150 million to establish an Arizona and rural Nevada Environmental Infrastructure program through Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 that became Public Law 116-260 on Dec. 27, 2020. This law helped bring critically needed infrastructure to Arizona and Nevada’s aging and dilapidated water systems across their state.