A drone view of floodwaters from the Sacramento River overtop the Colusa Weir in Colusa County, California, after an atmospheric river storm dumped water across much of the state. Photo taken February 6, 2024.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is awarding $1.4 million in funding for nine emergency response agencies across the state to increase their ability to respond to flood events. This funding will help put resources in the hands of local first responders tasked with protecting our communities.
California continues to adapt to an increase in extreme weather, with swings from dry conditions to dangerous flooding. The previous two winters have demonstrated the importance of planning for flood emergencies, especially at the local level.
“DWR works with communities across the state to prepare for flooding, and we know the best way to prepare is to ensure local communities have the resources they need to respond to emergencies,” said Laura Hollender, DWR Deputy Director of Flood Management and Dam Safety. “This funding will help counties, cities, and Tribal partners bolster their response capabilities for the next flooding emergency.”
These latest grant awards will provide funding to emergency response agencies to replenish and bolster local stockpiles of flood fight materials, such as sandbags and levee-reinforcing muscle-wall, and fund flood planning activities and training exercises.
Award recipients from today’s announcement include:
- Blue Lake Rancheria in Humboldt County: $100,800
- Butte County Office of Emergency Services: $110,250
- City of Gonzales in Monterey County: $49,875
- Humbolt County Office of Emergency Services: $189,000
- Mendocino County: $288,887
- Monterey Water Resources Agency: $189,000
- Monterey County Department of Emergency Management: $162,750
- Reclamation Districts 2091 and 2063 in Stanislaus County: $36,700
- Sutter County: $262,500
A complete list of these grants and previous grant awards can be found on the Flood Emergency Response Projects Grants webpage. The funding comes from The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84).
Since 2012, DWR has awarded $50 million in flood emergency response grants to improve local flood emergency response and to increase public safety. DWR is committed to providing hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding to communities to respond to increases in extreme weather impacts as a result of our changing climate, whether it’s flooding or drought.
Contact:
Jason Ince, Information Officer, Public Affairs, Department of Water Resources
(916) 820-8138 | media@water.ca.gov