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The Bureau of Reclamation has selected nine drought resiliency projects in California to receive nearly $15 million in grant funding.
“The Western United States is experiencing unprecedented dryness and drought,” said Chief Engineer David Raff. “This WaterSMART funding will help communities be more resilient and diversify their water supplies as climate change makes droughts worse.”
Reclamation will fund the projects through supplemental appropriations included in the first fiscal year 2022 continuing resolution. Reclamation may select additional drought resiliency projects once the regular fiscal year 2022 appropriations have been received. Applicants are being notified of project funding on a rolling basis.
The projects are:
Bella Vista Water District, Water Management and Storage Improvements $2,000,000
Located in Shasta County, Bella Vista will construct a new 3-million-gallon water tank and add supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) functionality to three existing wells. The project will facilitate conjunctive use and will improve operational management of groundwater and surface water supplies providing an additional average annual water supply of 2,618 acre-feet. The project will also provide emergency water supplies, facilitate water transfers, and improve water supply reliability and drought mitigation.
Casitas Municipal Water District, Ventura-Santa Barbara Counties Intertie Project $2,000,000
Located in Southern California, the district will construct an intertie, connecting two independent water systems in neighboring counties that will allow for bi-directional conveyance between the District and Carpinteria Valley Water District. The project will enable the District to access its State Water Project (SWP) supply, making an additional 2,000 acre-feet per year available to help mitigate drought vulnerabilities and provide drinking water during drought periods or other emergencies.
City of Fresno, Recycled Water Retrofit Project $293,450
Located in the Central San Joaquin Valley, Fresno will install purple pipes and retrofit irrigation systems at City Hall, Fink-White Park, and Fulton Street to connect these three urban green spaces to the existing recycled water transmission lines, converting these areas from potable water to reclaimed water for irrigation. This will offset the City’s potable water use by 48 acre-feet per year.
Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District, Turnipseed Water Bank Phase VI $2,000,000
The Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District will expand its Turnipseed Water Bank by constructing an additional 148-acre recharge facility and three groundwater monitoring wells. This project will increase the District’s recharge capacity by an annual average of 4,315 acre-feet. The recharged water can subsequently be used in drought years, offsetting surface water supply shortages for either the District or its water banking partners.
North Kern Water Storage District, 2022 Return Capacity Improvements Project $500,000
Located in Bakersfield, the District will construct the Return Capacity Improvements Project consisting of three wells and associated pipelines to integrate the wells into the existing conveyance network. The project will increase water supply reliability and add drought resiliency to the region. NKWSD estimates on average that this project will recover 1,845 acre-feet of previously banked water per year. Of this amount, 615 acre-feet will be reserved for in-district use and 1,230 acre-feet will be allocated to neighboring districts.
Rancho California Water District, Upper Valle De Los Caballos Optimization Project $2,000,000
Located in Temecula, the District will construct well #173, immediately down-gradient from existing recharge facilities, enabling the District to recover up to 1,200 acre-feet of water a year of previously stored water. The extraction and distribution of the previously stored water will increase the overall sustainability of the District’s local supplies, decrease the District’s dependence on drought-stricken imported supplies, and reduce the threat of water shortage impacts.
San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, Santa Ana River Enhanced Recharge Phase 1B $2,000,000
San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District will construct 337.4 acres of new recharge basins and improve existing infrastructure to allow for stormwater recharge of approximately 10,807 acre-feet per year on average. The stormwater captured by this project and recharged into the San Bernardino Basin will benefit approximately 400,000 people that rely on local groundwater sources when surface water allocations are reduced.
South Coast Water District, Recycled Water Distribution Improvements Phase II Project $2,000,000
Located in Orange County, South Coast will expand the district’s recycled water system by installing 5,700 feet of new pipelines and replacing a pressure reducing valve, resolving low-pressure issues that limit the amount of water that can be delivered. This will allow the district to expand the recycled water system to deliver water to the City of Dana Point. The project is expected to provide an additional 347 acre-feet of recycled water, alleviating demands on potable water supplies.
Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District, Regan Groundwater Recharge Facility $2,000,000
Located in Kern County, the District will improve existing conveyance facilities and construct 75 acres of recharge ponds to increase recharge capacity by an average of 6,120 acre-feet per year. The project will also expand the recovery of recharged water by connecting the existing well at the project site to the District’s conveyance system. The project will improve operational flexibility by capturing excess surface
supplies in wet years and providing a conveyance mechanism for subsequent return in dry years.
For more information about the projects or the Drought Response Program, visit https://www.usbr.gov/drought.
