The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced the latest funding awards for several water resilience projects throughout the state. A total of $83.9 million grant funding has been issued to communities in San Diego, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Sierra and Central Coast regions. The funding is aimed at supporting projects to address infrastructure needs, depleted groundwater levels, flood control issues, and other water issues of critical importance.
“Water is such a vital resource, that it is critical we continue to take action to ensure communities have access to clean water supplies, reliable flood protection and healthy ecosystems” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said in a press release. “These grants will support agencies and projects to continue local momentum in creating a more diverse water supply portfolio, strengthening partnerships and addressing climate change.”
Nearly $32 million of the funding awards will be used in water resilience projects that will provide direct improvements to water issues in disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. A total of $3.8 million has been awarded to improve wastewater infrastructure in the Oroville region. Another project in the Lower Cosumnes River watershed has been awarded $1 million to address extreme weather events. The Merced Irrigation District has been awarded $1.32 million to provide more reliable drinking supplies and reduce flood risk in the area.
In San Diego County, $3.7 million was awarded to National City to support a multi-benefit community enhancement project in Paradise Valley Creek. More than $1 million was awarded to the City of Salinas and the Central Coast Wetlands Group for improvements to stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. The remaining award for the Los Angeles/Ventura area of about $37 million will be issued in the coming weeks.
The funding support for the water resilience projects is being provided through DWR’s Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program. The projects receiving the latest grant support mark the third set of funding awards that have been issued under the IRWM program. The most recent announcement of grant funding brings the total amount of support offered to more than $175 million.
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