The Virgin River flowing through the high mountain desert.
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Reclamation is providing $808,912 to five entities in California, Nebraska and Utah 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 program supports President Biden's new Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad as it increases resilience to the impacts of climate change.
"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.
California
- The City of Burbank in Los Angeles County, California, 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, California, 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, California, 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.
Nebraska
- The Nebraska Department of Water Resources will receive $200,000 and partner with the Platte Basin Coalition to develop a drought contingency plan for the Upper Platte River Basin in Nebraska. The plan will advance drought resiliency and improve water supply reliability, benefiting multiple water users. Total project cost is $400,000.
Utah
- The Washington County Water Conservation District in Washington County will receive $122,912 to prepare a drought contingency plan with local communities for the Virgin River Watershed. Through the last 20 years, the watershed has experienced some level of drought on a regular basis. The total project cost is $245,825.
For project descriptions and information on the program, please visit the Drought Response Program website.
