WASHINGTON –Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has approved $9.2 million in Water 2025 Challenge Grants for water conservation projects across the West.
The grants will help fund 44 projects in 11 states. Including the matching contributions of non-federal partners, the selected projects represent a combined investment of more than $32 million in water management improvements.
Awarded by Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, these grants fund a variety of projects that will improve the efficient use of existing water supplies through water conservation, efficiency and water market projects.
The Challenge Grant Program focuses on meeting the goals identified in Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West. Since 2003 this departmental program has aimed to deal with chronic water supply problems in the West, a crisis that represents one of the greatest challenges facing the nation in the coming decades. Water 2025 helps communities predicted to experience conflicts over water during the next two decades.
Water 2025 encourages voluntary water banks and other market-based measures as authorized under state law, promotes the use of new technology for water conservation and efficiency and removes institutional barriers to increase cooperation and collaboration among federal, state, tribal and private organizations.
An example of a project that will create or expand water markets is Madera Irrigation District in California. The district will create a groundwater bank; which will better-manage up to 20,000 acre-feet per year. The total project cost is $1.39 million, including a Water 2025 contribution of $297,600.
Likewise, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District in Utah will create a new water bank utilizing groundwater recharge. Additional improvements include development of 3 acres of recharge basins, fencing, one monitoring well and flow meter. The project is estimated to save 3,650 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $473,363, including a Water 2025 contribution of $234,500.
The agencies and groups that proposed the 44 projects will now work with Reclamation to secure cooperative agreements and complete regulatory processes. Groundbreaking on the projects is expected by the end of September. They must be completed within two years.
More information on Water 2025 is at www.doi.gov/water2025.
Fiscal Year 2007 Water 2025
Challenge Grant Awards
California
Chowchilla Water District: The district will expand its existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to include measurement and control at 15 sites and measurement at an additional three sites. The project is estimated to save 6,000 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $729,792, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
City of Pasadena: The City of Pasadena will develop landscape mapping coverage to support ongoing conservation efforts using high resolution imagery. The project is estimated to save 1,700 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $384,230, including a Water 2025 contribution of $192,115.
City of Woodland: The City of Woodland will install SCADA system at the city well field to measure water withdrawal, prevent spills and locate unauthorized water use. The project is estimated to save 2,453 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $1,231,503, including a Water 2025 contribution of $299,901.
Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District: The district will install 199 pressure regulators on turnouts to allow for downstream control. The project is estimated to save 9,200 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $599,487, including a Water 2025 contribution of $299,743.
East Bay Municipal Utility District: The district will install acoustic data loggers and digital correlation devices to identify leaks on a continuous basis. The project is estimated to save 550 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $ $600,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $ $300,000.
Goleta Water District (1): The district will upgrade six oversized outdated water meters and install new valves, piping and vault boxes. The project is estimated to save 13 acre-feet of water per year and better manage 136 acre-feet per year. The total project cost is $148,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $58,000.
Goleta Water District (2):The district will install a SCADA system at 14 sites to increase the district's ability to monitor and control its water system. The project is estimated to better manage 5,720 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $800,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $232,000.
Lost Hills Water District: The district will line 3.1 miles of open canal with a geomembrane liner. The project is estimated to save 855 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $831,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Madera Irrigation District: The district will create a groundwater bank; which will better-manage up to 20,000 acre-feet per year. The total project cost is $1,390,010, including a Water 2025 contribution of $297,600.
Nevada Irrigation District: The district will replace 5,700 feet of unlined canal with 3,800 feet of 24" pipe. The project is estimated to save 188 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $1,063,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Pelger Mutual Water Company: The water company will update 1 mile of canal with geomembrane liner. The project is estimated to save 300 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $161,680, including a Water 2025 contribution of $80,000.
Rancho California Water District: The district will install 500 evapotranspiration (ET) controllers. The project is estimated to save 430 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $480,156, including a Water 2025 contribution of $87,500.
San Diego County Water Authority (1): The authority will develop water budget software potentially connecting to the water billing system. The project is estimated to save 6,170 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $111,148, including a Water 2025 contribution of $ 55,574.
San Diego County Water Authority (2): The authority will provide streamlined water audits for commercial landscapes. The project is estimated to save 1,177 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $125,254, including a Water 2025 contribution of $60,000.
San Luis Canal Company: The canal company will install a SCADA system bay station to eliminate spills. The project is estimated to save 23,100 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $190,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $95,000.
Idaho
South Board of Control: The project will convert 5.4 miles of earthen canal to pipe and construct four sediment containment ponds. The project is estimated to save 692 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $622,034, including a Water 2025 contribution of $135,586.
Black Canyon Irrigation District: The district will replace 8 miles of open canal with 3,000 linear feet of 15" PVC pipeline. The project is estimated to save 2,100 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $686,664, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Winder Lateral Association: The association will replace 8 miles of unlined canal with pipeline, convert 88 acres from flood irrigation to sprinkler and install measurement devices at each service connection. The project is estimated to save 880 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $729,028, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Kansas
Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District No.2:The district will replace 9.3 miles of open lateral with buried pipe and install meters on turnouts. The project is estimated to save 2,000 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $1,139,459, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Nebraska
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District: The district will automate three gates to reduce spills and improve water level control. The project is estimated to save 750 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $61,780, including a Water 2025 contribution of $30,715.
Nevada
Kyle Canyon Water District: The district will install 367 Municipal and Industrial water meters and automated meter-reading devices. The project is estimated to save 78 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $760,250, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Las Vegas Valley Water District:The district will implement a leak-detection program, install a FIREFLY automatic meter reading system and complete an artificial recharge feasibility study. The project is estimated to save 25 acre-feet and better manage 222 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $105,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $52,500.
New Mexico
San Juan Dineh Water Users, Inc.: The project will replace 12,000 feet of earthen canal with pipe and install flow meters on all turnouts. The project is estimated to save 1,003 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $454,979, including a Water 2025 contribution of $225,000.
Oregon
Central Oregon Irrigation District: The district will install of 22 flow measurement and telemetry devices in six irrigation districts. The project is estimated to save 5,510 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $257,094, including a Water 2025 contribution of $121,722.
East Fork Irrigation District: The district will install 1.7 miles of pipeline and inverted siphon near Neal Creek. The project is estimated to save 1,745 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $4,327,674, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Klamath Irrigation District: The district will replace the Miller Hill Pump station with electric variable speed pumps and install SCADA in new pumping plant. The project is estimated to better manage 12,500 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $697,231, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
North Unit Irrigation District:The district will replace 0.5 mile of canal with HDPE pipe. The project is estimated to better manage 11,360 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $574,007, including a Water 2025 contribution of $237,002.
Swalley Irrigation District: The district will replace open canal with 1.7 miles of pipeline. The project is estimated to save 2,881 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $2,288,856, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Texas
Cameron County Irrigation District No. 2: The district will replace 7,000 feet of open canal with pipe. The project is estimated to save 320 acre-feet of water per year and better-manage 10,860 acre-feet per year. The total project cost is $831,325, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Utah
Bell Canyon Irrigation Company: The irrigation company will convert 2.9 miles of a open canal irrigation system to 1.7 miles of pressurized pipe. The project is estimated to save 225 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $847,926, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Payson City and Highline Canal: The project will replace 2,230 feet of open canal with pressurized pipeline that allows for conversion to sprinkler irrigation. The project is estimated to save and better-manage 935 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $603,111, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Provo River Water Users:The water users will update 1,200 feet of pipeline at Broadhead diversion dam and installation of meters and screens. The project is estimated to better manage 1,575 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $697,481, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Scipio Irrigation Company: The irrigation company will install a SCADA system, diversion structure and improve storage reservoir. The project is estimated to save 675 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $163,435, including a Water 2025 contribution of $80,335.
Strawberry High Line Canal Association: The canal association will construct a 6-cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) pump station to recover water within the Strawberry High Line Canal system. The project is estimated to better manage 1,800 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $530,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $260,000.
Strawberry Water Users Association: The association will construct four improved measurement structures; install five communications devices which will provide real-time information on the web and market seeped water that has not been previously measured. The project is estimated to save 1,000 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $148,600, including a Water 2025 contribution of $74,300.
Uintah Indian Irrigation Project (1): Project will improve an existing diversion structure including a new diversion gate with telemetry and automation. The project is estimated to better manage 19,074 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $395,103, including a Water 2025 contribution of $153,078.
Uintah Indian Irrigation Project (2): Project will improve a diversion structure. The project is estimated to better manage 38,400 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $150,800, including a Water 2025 contribution of $72,900.
Uintah Water Conservancy District: The district will install a 20-cfs pump station to facilitate the exchange of Vernal Unit Project water; and install an ultrasonic meter and SCADA system. The project is estimated to better manage 2,200 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $737,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Utah Lake Distributing Company:The distributing company will construct two flumes to measure the overflow and market the water in excess of that needed to satisfy return flows to the Jordan River. The project is estimated to save 4,200 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $118,600, including a Water 2025 contribution of $59,300.
Weber Basin Water Conservancy District:The district will create a new water bank utilizing groundwater recharge. Additional improvements include development of 3 acres of recharge basins, fencing, one monitoring well and flow meter. The project is estimated to save 3,650 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $473,363, including a Water 2025 contribution of $234,500.
Washington
Clallam Conservation District: Two water districts will replace two unlined open canals with one single pipeline, 13 miles in length; a small portion of the project will include a recharge component. The project is estimated to save 1,829 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $3,264,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.
Naches-Seleh Irrigation District (1): The district will improve 3,000 linear feet of open canal with geomembrane liner. The project is estimated to save 230 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $204,000, including a Water 2025 contribution of $102,000.
Naches-Seleh Irrigation District (2): The district will install 5,500 linear ft. of PVC pipe, flow meters and flow control devices. The project is estimated to save 360 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $ $442,680, including a Water 2025 contribution of $221,340.
Wyoming
Wyoming State Engineer's Office: The Wyoming State Engineer's Office will install real-time monitoring and control systems on 43 diversion sites. The project is estimated to save 11,000 acre-feet of water per year. The total project cost is $548,580, including a Water 2025 contribution of $262,405.