The San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (Valley District) is investing $1.8 million to increase stormwater capture and recharge in the Yucaipa Basin. The project – called the Wilson III Basin – is primarily a flood control project to reduce flood risk in Yucaipa but will also help the area capture more of its own stormwater for storage underground, increasing water supply reliability and enhancing the sustainability of the groundwater resources in the Yucaipa Basin. Valley District will contribute $1.8 million toward construction of the project through a partnership with the City of Yucaipa.
“The Valley District Board of Directors is committed to supporting regional efforts to sustain a reliable water supply and healthy watershed into the future,” stated Valley District Board President Paul Kielhold, who represents the Yucaipa area on the Valley District Board. “We have invested in other projects throughout the region that serve similar purposes and I anticipate we will see more opportunities to partner with our retail water providers and cities on these types of projects in the future.”
“The Wilson III Basin Project is yet another great example of the City of Yucaipa and Valley District collaborating together to enhance our groundwater recharge capabilities in our community in order to strengthen water supply availability in the Yucaipa basin,” City of Yucaipa Mayor Greg Bogh stated,
The project partnership requires the City of Yucaipa to recharge 10,300 acre-feet of water. In 2010, Valley District and Yucaipa partnered on a similar project in the Wildwood Creek area.
“We live in a region that rarely gets rain; but when it rains it literally pours and can overwhelm our existing flood control facilities,” stated Valley District General Manager and CEO Heather Dyer. “The City of Yucaipa is building critical facilities that will enable them to control the stormwater and give us the chance to store more of this resource to make it through the long dry periods we are used to. I’m pleased that Valley District can be a part of bringing this project to completion.”
“The City appreciates Valley District’s continued partnership on these types of projects,” commented Yucaipa City Manager Ray Casey. “They really are a win-win for both the City and Valley District, enhancing water supply reliability both locally and across the basin.”
Valley District is a supplemental water provider for an area stretches from parts of Fontana in the west to Yucaipa in the east and imports water from the State Water Project in addition to investing in local water supplies like stormwater and recycled water.
For more information, please call 909-387-9200 or email kristeenf@sbvmwd.com.
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