Walton foundation’s funds to aid 2 rivers

The Walton Family Foundation will invest $35 million in restoring and supporting the Colorado River basin and the Mississippi River Delta.

The Colorado River basin will receive $20 million over the next two years. In a news release, the foundation pointed out that the lower basin was named the most endangered river in the nation by the American Rivers conservation group.

The foundation also will dedicate about $15 million over two years for projects to restore the Mississippi River Delta around the coast of Louisiana, which has been plagued with challenges from storms and rising sea levels.

“The Colorado and the Mississippi are two of our greatest rivers, and they and the communities that depend on them are under serious threats,” Rob Walton, board member and chairman of the environment committee for his family’s foundation, said in the news release.

The Bentonville foundation awarded about $450 million in grants last year.