The SAN bernadino valley water conservation district, located in southern california, will complete 65% final design plans at the mill creek groundwater recharge facility to increase the existing…

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation Trust $838,221 on February 25, 2026, under the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507) to complete 65% final design plans for expansion of the Mill Creek Groundwater Recharge Facility in Southern California.

The recipient, doing business as the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, will develop design plans to increase the facility's capacity and operational flexibility. The expanded recharge capacity enables capture of additional water during wet years to sustain supply during drought periods. The region faces water supply challenges from drought, frequent storm events, unreliable water imports, and wildfire risk; the San Bernardino Basin stores over 5.6 million acre-feet of water and represents a critical climate-adaptation asset. The East Valley Water District's Drought Contingency Plan identifies this project as a top priority for mitigating high-risk water supply vulnerabilities.

Performance of design work occurs in California, with an ultimate completion date of June 30, 2027. This is a Project Grant, assistance type providing cost-shared financial assistance for water management improvement projects on a competitive, merit-based basis.

The SAN bernadino valley water conservation district, located in southern california, will complete 65% final design plans at the mill creek groundwater recharge facility to increase the existing facility S capacity and operational flexibility. Drought, frequent storm events, lack of reliable water imports, and wildfire risk shape the regions response to limited water supplies. The SAN bernardino valley and the SAN bernardino basin stores over 5.6 million acre-feet of water and is a valuable asset to support climate-change adaptation. Expanding recharge capacity in the region enables the capture of more water in the basin during increasingly wet years to sustain water supply during ever-increasing periods of drought. The east valley water district S drought contingency plan addresses water resource reliability to proactively address cyclical droughts that challenge water supply. The project is identified in this plan as a top priority for mitigating high-risk water supply vulnerabilities.