Three California entities receive $486,000 from Reclamation to prepare for future droughts

The Bureau of Reclamation is providing $486,000 to three entities in California to develop a drought contingency plan or update an existing plan. These drought plans will help regions and communities plan for and build long-term resiliency to drought.

The funding is being made available as part of Reclamation’s Drought Response Program, a part of WaterSMART.

“The drought contingency planning process is an open and inclusive planning effort that helps communities build a long-term resiliency to drought,” said Chief Engineer David Raff.

The drought contingency planning process is structured to develop proactive monitoring for early drought recognition, identify area specific impacts, and prioritize actions to mitigate and protect the area when drought occurs.

The funding will go to:

• The City of Burbank in Los Angeles County will receive $175,000 to develop a new drought contingency plan. The plan will address concerns related to increased water demands and how drought impacts water quality and the economy. Total project cost is $350,000.
• The East Valley Water District in Highland will receive $200,000 to develop a drought contingency plan to increase water supply reliability and improve water management of declining local groundwater and imported water supplies. Total project cost is $400,000.
• The Pala Band of Mission Indians near Temecula will receive $111,000 to update its 2016 drought contingency plan. The updated plan will identify drought mitigations and response actions to help the Pala Tribe through its reoccurring drought episodes. Total project cost is $225,030.