The CITY of big bear lake (CITY) will equip a well pumping plant at its new division well no. 9, improving drought resiliency and increasing water system operational efficiencies

The City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power received a $1,029,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program (CFDA 15.514). The funding will enable the City to equip a new well pumping plant at Division Well No. 9, which will provide an additional 400 acre-feet water source to improve drought resiliency and increase water system operational efficiencies for the Bear Valley region. This project is designed to mitigate ongoing drought impacts, enhance water management flexibility, and strengthen wildfire resiliency by creating an alternative water source that can be transferred through an existing intertie to the City's neighboring water agency. The award date is December 20, 2024, with a targeted ultimate completion date of April 30, 2026.

The project will enable the CITY to mitigate ongoing drought impacts to its system as IT will provide a new alternative water source of 400 acre-feet, increasing water management flexibility and wildfire resiliency. This project will help the CITY and bear valley to become more resilient to long-term drought and less likely to be reliant on emergency response actions, as the water produced by the division well no. 9 pumping plant can be transferred through an existing intertie to the citys only neighboring water agency within the bear valley. This is significant given the bear valleys isolated, mountaintop topography which renders the delivery of emergency imported water cost prohibitive.