The mojave water agency, located in SAN bernardino county, california, will design a new permanent turnout from the california aqueduct to convey state water project (SWP) water to the oeste…

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded Mojave Water Agency Public Facilities Corporation $666,026 on January 8, 2026, under the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507) to design a new permanent turnout from the California Aqueduct to convey State Water Project water to the Oeste Recharge Basin.

The design project addresses water supply vulnerability in San Bernardino County, California, where drought, earthquakes, and storm damage can disrupt water delivery or storage facilities and impair supplies dependent on terminal reservoirs. The new turnout structure will increase groundwater recharge capacity and storage reliability to mitigate impacts on vulnerable communities, agricultural lands, and ecosystems. The work aligns with the agency's 2021 Strategic Plan objectives to develop and improve infrastructure for reliable water supplies.

Performance of the design work occurs in California. The period of performance runs from the award date through September 30, 2026. WaterSMART Grants provide cost-shared financial assistance on a competitive basis for water conservation and water efficiency improvement projects. Assistance type is Project Grant.

The mojave water agency, located in SAN bernardino county, california, will design a new permanent turnout from the california aqueduct to convey state water project (SWP) water to the oeste recharge basin. The agency?S water supply may be interrupted by drought, earthquakes causing damage to water delivery or storage facilities, and storm flood damage. Disruptions can cause pipelines, canals, or pump stations conveying water across the mountains to become inoperable, making SWP deliveries dependent on the supplies available in the terminal reservoirs. Once constructed, the new turnout will increase groundwater recharge, storage capacity, and reliability to mitigate impacts from disruptions to vulnerable communities, agricultural lands, and ecosystems. This design project is for system upgrades that are an important step in the objectives of the agency?S 2021 strategic plan to develop, manage, and improve infrastructure to provide reliable water supplies.