Imported water flows into a groundwater recharge pond. (DWR/2014)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – To help local agencies implement projects to meet the long-term water needs of their communities, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has awarded $25.4 million in grants.
The funding will support projects such as groundwater recharge and stormwater management located near Fresno and Bakersfield, as well as California’s North Coast. More than half of the funding will be awarded for projects that help disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, including Tribal Governments.
“State, local and Tribal partnerships are essential for all Californians to secure a reliable, high quality water supply, particularly in the face of a changing climate,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We are proud to support these projects--they help make good on California’s commitment to the human right to water.”
Among the grantees is the city of Huron, which will receive $650,000 to construct new groundwater supply and monitoring wells. Groundwater will be blended with surface water run-off from the Sierra Nevada and treated at the city’s water treatment facility. The project will improve the quality and reliability of this disadvantaged community’s drinking water supply, and replenish regional groundwater basins during years when rainfall and snowpack are plentiful.
In Humboldt County, the Tribal Government of Blue Lake Rancheria will receive $382,085 to add more storage to its water distribution system. The additional storage will help ensure an uninterrupted and affordable water supply during dry conditions or other potential natural disasters, such as wildfires.
Local agencies manage the vast majority of the state’s water supply. Grant funding enables local agencies to establish more reliable surface and groundwater supplies, initiate projects to improve water quality and flood management, and restore ecosystems.
This grant program is funded by Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond approved by California voters in 2014. Approximately $220 million will be awarded in stages based on each integrated regional water management (IRWM) hydrologic region over the coming months. Grant awards announced today are the first in a series. For more information, visit the Implementation Grant Program webpage.
###
Contact:
Akiela Moses, Information Officer I, Public Affairs, Department of Water Resources
(916) 653-9638 | Akiela.Moses@water.ca.gov