Death Valley National Park Breaks Ground on $69.5 Million Water System Overhaul: Three-Year Project to Serve Visitors, Residents and Tribe
Death Valley National Park, in Inyo County, California, broke ground on October 21 on the Furnace Creek Water Systems Rehabilitation Project. In a news release dated October 22, the National Park Service (NPS) said the $69.5 million investment will modernize aging water and wastewater infrastructure serving park visitors, employees, residents and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
The project is funded through the Legacy Restoration Fund established by the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2020. According to the release, the three-year project will address deferred maintenance and improve the reliability of essential services.
The National Park Foundation joined the National Park Service for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Representatives from the U.S. Congress, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, Inyo County, the National Park Service, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Death Valley Conservancy, Xanterra and companies involved in the project took part. Participants recognized the importance of reliable water and wastewater infrastructure in Death Valley's extreme desert environment, the release said.
The investment also supports the surrounding communities that depend on tourism and reliable park operations, according to the release. In 2024, visitors to Death Valley National Park spent an estimated $146 million in gateway communities, supporting approximately 1,343 local jobs and generating $191 million in total economic output.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Death Valley National Park 供水系统工程作业现场。美国国家公园管理局（NPS）供图，公共领域
