DWR Assistance Program Helps Counties Prepare for Future Dry Conditions
Assistant installer Jeff Willis and Electrician Brian Callahan install a 1500 gallon potable water tank at a residence in Glenn County, California, where wells have run dry. Photo taken August 10, 2022.
No matter what weather California is experiencing, the State is taking action to prepare for the possibility of more extreme storms while increasing our climate resilience for the next drought. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is partnering with counties to ensure that communities statewide have the resources they need to proactively plan for future dry conditions.
Designed to help counties meet requirements set by Senate Bill (SB) 552, DWR’s County Drought Resilience Planning Assistance Program offers counties the choice between hands-on technical support or financial assistance up to $125,000 to establish a standing drought and water shortage task force and develop a county drought resilience plan.
Comprised of a variety of representatives from state and other local governments, including groundwater sustainability agencies, community-based organizations, local water suppliers, and local residents, each county’s task force will help facilitate drought and water shortage preparedness for state small systems, defined as those serving 5 to 14 connections, and domestic wells within the county’s jurisdiction. As part of the facilitation, each county must also develop a plan that assesses potential drought and water shortage risks and develops proposed responses to shortages and long-term solutions to reduce risks. Together, the requirements will help address gaps in local and state water management by improving communication and coordination between local, regional, and state governments during future dry events.
As of January 2024, 50 counties have applied for assistance with 29 electing direct hands-on planning support, and 21 choosing financial assistance.
Most recently, DWR awarded four $125,000 grants to the counties of El Dorado, Marin, Santa Barbara, and Tulare.
With California expected to continue experiencing unprecedented climate extremes, this collaboration between state and local government will help streamline processes and communication in place at the local level for responding to future dry events.
“Small water systems and households dependent on domestic groundwater wells are particularly vulnerable to drought and water shortages. Our changing climate is making solutions to these challenges even more necessary,” said Kris Tjernell, DWR deputy director of Integrated Watershed Management. “These technical and financial resources provided by DWR empower local governments with tailor-made climate resiliency strategies.”
In addition to offering planning assistance, DWR developed two tools to help counties comply with SB 552 -- a drought resilience planning guidebook and a water shortage vulnerability explorer, both available on DWR’s SB 552 webpage.