The New Mexico Economic Development Department announced Friday that it has awarded an infrastructure grant to the city of Clovis to help the city develop its airport infrastructure.

Under the grant agreement, EDD will provide up to $2.1 million for the Clovis Regional Airport Water Transmission Extension project, set to begin construction next year, according to a news release from the state agency.

For Clovis, the project means continued viability for its airport, which is seeing a depleted flow of water from the Ogallala Aquifer, the release said. Clovis-area residents, including airmen at Cannon Air Force Base, use the airport as a regional hub to access Denver International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The award, made from the Local Economic Development Act, comes under recent expansion to LEDA providing assistance to rural communities for important infrastructure improvements without a specific tenant in place. In 2020, the Moriarty Municipal Airport became the first entity to receive funding through the expansion, when it received a $283,000 grant to improve its infrastructure, according to the release.