Reclamation Selects Eight CA Projects for WaterSMART Grants to Prepare, Build Resilience to Drought

Eight California projects will share more than $5 million in WaterSMART grants from the Bureau of Reclamation for projects to prepare and build resilience to drought. The grants are part of the recent 18 projects selected by Reclamation, totaling some $9 million in WaterSMART drought resiliency grants.

“While the water supply in the western United States improved this year, it’s important for communities to remain proactive in building long-term resiliency to drought,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. “These projects help communities protect themselves from the next drought by increasing water supply reliability and improving operational flexibility.”

Funding for the WaterSMART grants is provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Each of the funded projects are designed to provide more flexibility and reliability for communities while reducing the need for emergency actions during a drought. In addition to the eight California projects receiving WaterSMART grants, 10 other drought resiliency projects in Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas will also receive funding. The total 18 projects will be leveraged with local cost-share to fund $166.2 million in drought resiliency efforts.

The eight California drought resiliency projects include:

• Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board, Lake Cachuma Emergency Pumping Facility – Secured Pipeline Project, Santa Barbara County

Total Project Cost: $1,525,270                                            Reclamation Funding: $750,000

• City of Fullerton, Well 7A Project, Orange County

Total Project Cost: $2,960,077                                            Reclamation Funding: $300,000

• Long Beach Water Department, West Coast Basin Well 1 Project, Los Angeles County

Total Project Cost: $2,890,000                                            Reclamation Funding: $750,000

• Pala Band of Mission Indians, Pala Tribe Water Management Tool, San Diego County

Total Project Cost: $598,855                                               Reclamation Funding: $298,380

• Rancho California Water District, Upper Valle De Los Caballos Optimization Project, Riverside County

 Total Project Cost: $6,400,932                                            Reclamation Funding: $750,000

• San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, Central-Feeder East Branch Extension (EBX) Intertie Project, San Bernardino County

Total Project Cost: $1,796,796                                            Reclamation Funding: $750,000

• Santa Margarita Water District, Las Flores Enhanced Water Reliability Project, Orange County

Total Project Cost: $4,851,967                                            Reclamation Funding: $749,999

• Stanislaus Regional Water Authority, Regional Surface Water Supply Project Phase II, Stanislaus County

Total Project Cost: $127,749,729                                        Reclamation Funding: $750,000

Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities, through the WaterSMART program, as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through grants and other investments to modernize existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. Visit https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart for additional information about WaterSMART.