Source: California Farm Bureau

The California Department of Water Resources awarded $86 million in financial assistance to meet immediate and long-term water needs for millions of Californians, including for small communities struggling to address drought impacts.

Of the new round of funding, $44 million will provide assistance to 23 projects through the Small Community Drought Relief program. Some of the funded projects to benefit disadvantaged communities include:

• $4.2 million to construct a pipeline in Fresno County from an existing water treatment plant to the community of Mira Bella’s distribution system to support water supply resiliency.

• $3.4 million to consolidate the West Goshen water system into the nearby public water system, Cal Water Visalia, in Tulare County. The unincorporated community is facing a public health emergency due to water quality and water supply issues.

• $2.4 million to the Indian Valley Community Services District in Plumas County to replace 6,500 feet of water distribution pipelines for Greenville. The town is losing half of its water supply due to excessive leaks.

• $2.2 million to the Best Roads Mutual Water Company in San Benito County to construct a new water tank and consolidate the water system with the Sunnyslope Water District. The company is relying on bottled water for customers after two wells failed.

• $1.8 million to Santa Clara County to replace four leaking tanks and expand storage at a Santa Clara County treatment plant.

• $1.6 million for the Redway Community Services District in Humboldt County to construct three new wells and replace and rehabilitate existing tank infrastructure.

To build long-term climate resilience, DWR is awarding $42 million in grants through the Integrated Regional Water Management program. Funded projects include:

• $2.9 million to modify the San Joaquin County Flood Control District’s south distribution system to provide efficient and metered delivery of surface water to farmers to use in lieu of groundwater.

• $2.4 million to the San Diego County Water Authority to construct a pipeline from the San Vicente water reclamation plant to an existing nonpotable pipeline on the Barona Reservation. This will provide up to 250 acre-feet of water per year of recycled water.

• $427,000 to Mariposa County to reconstruct a failing leach field, which is the primary wastewater disposal facility for a community in the Yosemite-Mariposa region.

• $300,293 to the Merced Irrigation District to build a 30-acre water storage reservoir that will store up to 750 acre-feet per year of flood flows in the San Joaquin River region. Stored water will be used to irrigate 2,100 acres of farmland and recharge groundwater. The project will permanently fallow 30 acres of farmland.

• $229,000 to the Eastern California Water Association to develop a groundwater model in the Inyo-Mono region to better understand the amount and flow of groundwater. The groundwater model will serve as a tool to analyze future groundwater conditions and inform groundwater sustainability agencies on new well construction.

The project will benefit the Benton Paiute Reservation. The association will also receive $120,000 to restore 800 acres of instream habitat in Oak Creek and increase flood protection. The project benefits residents of the downstream Fort Independence Indian Reservation.

The announcement of the regional grants is the first phase of funding, with additional funding to be announced through spring 2023.

The Integrated Regional Water Management program has awarded more than $1.5 billion throughout California, which has been matched by $5.6 billion in local investments to help implement over 1,300 projects.