A newly completed basin project in California has been designed to recharge a drought-depleted aquifer with as much as 479 million gallons annually, helping protect the drinking water supply for roughly 18,000 residents in the Calimesa area.
Here's what to know
The County Line Road basin and turnout project was completed just 12 months after construction began, according to Patch. Water executives and regional officials came out to celebrate its completion on Oct. 14.
"Just a month ago, this water was in Lake Oroville," Heather Dyer, general manager and CEO of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, said at the celebration, per Patch. "It traveled more than 500 miles through California's water system to reach this community."
Prolonged regional droughts have significantly drained groundwater reserves in the Yucaipa Subbasin. Recharge water is coming from Northern California, marking the first time imported water has reached Calimesa.
"I am so proud of what our agencies have accomplished and what it means for the families who will depend on this water," Dyer said.
The completed infrastructure includes a basin spanning seven acres, a new turnout linking it with the East Branch Extension of the State Water Project, and a repurposed pipeline.
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The project received $3.1 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, covering half of its original $6.2 million price tag.
More background
Dry spells are when the area could benefit from the strategy: Surplus water stored underground during wet years would provide reserves to help support households that rely on local wells.
But it's worth noting that the basin's annual recharge capacity of over 400 million gallons is a maximum, not a guarantee that the same amount of water will arrive each year.
South Mesa Water Company, San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency, and San Bernardino Valley MWD worked with Riverside County on the connection between imported supplies and local groundwater storage.
Robert Ybarra, president of the San Gorgonio Pass agency's board, credited the partnership.
"This project is proof of what becomes possible when agencies trust one another enough to think beyond their own boundaries," Ybarra said, per Patch. "None of us could have delivered this project alone."
Where can I learn more?
These stories also examine California's groundwater oversight, depletion, and water allocations:
• California groundwater agencies face fees up to $250,000 to seek exemptions from state oversight.
• In California's Central Valley, one-third of groundwater losses are linked to major carbon producers.
• San Joaquin Valley growers are turning to agave as groundwater limits squeeze California farms.
• A water district has weighed selling 40% of its allotment for a 4,000-home project.
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