Item 36 - Grant Applications for Water Well Projects

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Colorado River Basin, respectively. Both regions are currently experiencing and have been suffering from multi-year drought conditions which directly impact water supplies to southern California. For instance, due to the on-going drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin, the federal government declared a shortage on the Colorado River for the first time in the existence of the Colorado River Compact. This declaration curtails allocations to Colorado River water users. Additionally, the Sierra Nevada Mountains (the source of water for the SWP) are currently designated as Exceptional Drought areas according to the U.S. Drought monitor. The City’s ability to pump from Well 38 will reduce the City’s dependence on the drought-stricken states’ limited water supplies, offering long-term drought resilience benefits (both quantifiable and qualitative) by providing an additional water supply, improving water management and indirectly benefitting fish, wildlife and the environment. Additionally, there has been a tremendous environmental impact from the recent drought conditions. According to the Pacific Institute, many of the state’s environmental flows went unmet during the drought period, affecting aquatic ecosystems and decreased protections for endangered species. The increased salinity levels in the Bay Delta (caused by less rainwater diluting the salinity of the water) have affected waterfowl, wildlife refuge and fisheries habitat. The recent drought has caused losses or destruction of fish and wildlife habitat, loss of wetlands, more wildfires and lower water levels in reservoirs, lakes, and ponds. Dry creeks and rivers led 18 fish species to diminish to near extinction. According to The Public Policy Institute of California, a priority of the Proposition 1 water bond are California’s ecosystems, which have been hit hard by the drought; 45 projects address water supply and habitat to support native species around the state. Wildlife that have thrived in urban habitats have also struggled to adapt as state and local conservation regulations force California homeowners to let their lawns and gardens dry and die. By reducing the City’s reliance on imported water supplies, the City will effectively be creating more water supplies for the environmental systems that also rely on the imported supplies. 6. Each project must meet one of the following purposes as it relates to drought. Please select the appropriate purpose for your project. a. Address immediate impacts on human health and safety, including providing or improving availability of food, water, or shelter. b. Address immediate impacts on fish and wildlife resources. c. Provide water to persons or communities that lose or are threatened with the loss or contamination of water supplies. 7. Each project must enhance regional drought resilience and align with the goals and objectives of the relevant approved Integrated Regional Water Management Plan. You can find the relevant IRWM Region by using the map at the following link: https://gis.water.ca.gov/app/dacs/ The IRWM Plans can be found at the following link: https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/IRWM-Grant-Programs/Plan-Review-Process. If you have any questions about the IRWM region the contact list can be found at the following link: https://water.ca.gov/Work-With-Us/Grants-And-Loans/IRWM-Grant-Programs. Applicants are encouraged to contact and coordinate with the applicable RWMG for the IRWM region in which the project is located