Luke Runyon/KUNC

Lake Mead has been dropping for years, and if it dips too low it could trigger a shortage in the Lower Colorado River Basin.

The Department of the Interior announced Wednesday that the Lake Mead Recreation Area on the Arizona/Nevada border will receive $1,976,000 for construction projects.

The money is part of a $256 million program to chip away at the $11.6 billion dollar backlog of infrastructure and repair work affecting the National Park System in America. The Arizona money is designated to repair and replace a water intake barge with shoreline wells at Katherine Landing.

Lake Mead spokeswomen Chelsea Kennedy said the intake barge is complicated and needs constant repairs. The project will help ensure the entire recreation area has a reliable water supply.

Kennedy said there will not be a more concrete plan for the funds until they arrive.