Funding and Summary
Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Planning is a process by which multiple agencies within a region work collaboratively to better the region’s water quality and supply in an inclusive way. The Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group (CVRWMG) includes the valley’s five water purveyors and one wastewater agency, who have come together to improve water resourcing planning and management for the entire region. Additionally, the CVRWMG has collaborated and submitted proposals for non-IRWM grant programs to address drought impacts in the region. In total, the CVRWMG has been awarded $43,593,534 for IRWM and non-IRWM funding. A complete list of grant programs is below.
| Grant Program | Award | Year |
| IRWM Prop 84 Planning | $1,000,000 | 2012 |
| IRWM Prop 84 DAC Outreach Grant | $500,000 | 2012 |
| IRWM Prop 84, Round 1 | $4,000,000 | 2012 |
| IRWM Prop 84, Round 2 | $5,240,000 | 2014 |
| IRWM Prop 84, Round 3 | $5,279,636 | 2014 |
| IRWM, Prop 84, Round 4 | $2,361,727 | 2016 |
| IRWM Prop 1 Planning Grant | $211,982 | 2017 |
| IRWM Prop 1 DAC Involvement | $1,118,030 | 2017 |
| IRWM Prop 1, Round 1 | $3,825,383 | 2020 |
| IRWM Prop 1, Round 2 | $4,112,755 | 2022 |
| Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Program | $2,212,771 | 2022 |
| Urban Community Drought Relief Program | $8,731,250 | 2023 |
| Water and Energy Efficiency Grants | $5,000,000 | 2024 |
| TOTAL | $43,593,354 |
Prop 1
PROPOSITION 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act passed by California voters in November 2014. Administered by DWR, Proposition 1 includes funding for the IRWM Grant Program. This bond act provides $7.545 billion for various water related purposes and $510 million for Integrated Regional Water Management Planning efforts. This IRWMP funding is allocated by region with $22.5 million for the Colorado River Region.
Proposition 1 Grant Funding
| Grant Solicitation Name | Number of Projects Funded | Total Grant Award | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning Grant | 1 | $211,982 | Complete |
| Prop 1 DAC Involvement | 3 | $1,118,030 | Underway |
| Implementation – Round 1 | 4 | $3,825,383 | Underway |
| Implementation – Round 2 | 6 | $4,112,755 | Underway |
| TOTAL | 8 | $9,268,150 |
What types of projects are contemplated?
The intent of Proposition 1 is to encourage integrated regional strategies for management of water resources. Proposition 1 will fund projects that use multiple strategies resulting in multiple benefits. Such projects would include one or more of the following elements:
| IRWM Plan Objective | Possible Project Elements |
|---|---|
| Reduce Water Demand | Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Urban Water Use Efficiency |
| Improve Operational Efficiency & Transfers | Conveyance System Reoperation Water Transfers |
| Increase Water Supply | Conjunctive Management & Groundwater Storage Desalination – Brackish & Seawater Precipitation Enhancement Recycled Municipal Water Surface Storage – CALFED Surface Storage – Local |
| Improve Water Quality | Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution Groundwater/Aquifer Remediation Matching Quality to Use Pollution Prevention Urban Runoff Management |
| Practice Resource Stewardship | Agricultural Lands Stewardship Economic Incentives (Loans, Grants, and Water Pricing) Ecosystem Restoration Floodplain Management Recharge Areas Protection Urban Land Use Management Water‐Dependent Recreation Watershed Management |
Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
The Water and Energy Efficiency Grants (WEEG) is one of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) funding programs that offers financial assistance to projects that achieve measurable water savings, incorporate renewable energy components, and promote broader sustainability benefits.
In February 2024, the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group (CVRWMG) submitted the Coachella Valley Regional Conservation and Incentive Program, Inoperable Valve Replacement Project, and Meter Replacement Project (Project) proposal that included four components to address drought impacts in the region. In August 2024, Reclamation awarded the CVRWMG $5 million to implement the Project.
Task 1, Turf Conversions and Conservation Incentives Program, will be implemented by the Coachella Valley Water District, Desert Water Agency, Indio Water Authority, and Mission Springs Water District. The program will offer residents rebates to replace turf with desert friendly landscaping and rebates to upgrade inefficient water use devices. Task 2, Evaporative Cooler Tune-Up and Changeout Program, will be implemented by Mission Springs Water District and will upgrade outdated or inefficient evaporative coolers with more efficient models for commercial and residential customers. Task 3, Inoperable Valve Replacement, and Task 4, Meter Replacement, will be implemented by Coachella Water Authority and will replace 30 inoperable valves and 5,000 meters with automated meter infrastructure meters throughout Coachella Water Authority’s service area. A breakdown of the funding is below:
| Agency | Amount |
| Coachella Valley Water District | $1,492,500 |
| Coachella Water Authority | $1,015,000 |
| Desert Water Agency | $1,692,500 |
| Indio Water Authority | $400,000 |
| Mission Springs Water District | $300,000 |
| Total | $5,000,000 |
Urban Community Drought Relief Program
The Urban Community Drought Relief Program is one of three Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Drought Relief Programs that offers financial assistance to address drought impacts. Under the Urban Community Drought Relief Program, DWR was allocated approximately $300 million for drought response projects.
In November 2022, the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group submitted a proposal that included eight drought response projects throughout the Coachella Valley Region. In January 2023, DWR awarded $1,256,250 million to implement the Regional Intertie Project and $5 million to implement the Coachella Valley Regional Turf Replacement Program. In June 2023, DWR awarded $2,175,000 million to implement the Regional Meter Replacement Program – Advanced Metering Infrastructure for Remote Meter Reading.
The Regional Intertie Project, which will be implemented by Desert Water Agency and Indio Water Authority, involves new installation of and retrofit of emergency water pipeline connections in various locations throughout the Coachella Valley. The Coachella Valley Regional Turf Replacement Program is a multifaceted program that will include turf rebates throughout Coachella Valley for a variety of customers and direct installation of desert friendly landscaping to replace turf in the City of Indian Wells. This program will be implemented by Coachella Valley Water District, Coachella Water Authority, Desert Water Agency, Indio Water Authority, Mission Springs Water District, Myoma Dunes Mutual Water Company, City of Palm Desert and City of Indian Wells. The Regional Meter Replacement Program – Advanced Metering Infrastructure for Remote Meter Reading will be implemented by Indio Water Authority and Desert Water Agency. This program will replace customer meters with Advancing Metering Infrastructure. A complete list of the projects is below.
| Project | Amount |
| Regional Intertie Project | $1,256,250 |
| Regional Turf Replacement Program | $5,000,000 |
| Regional Meter Replacement Program – AMI for Remote Meter Reading | $2,175,000 |
| Grant Administration | $300,000 |
| Total | $8,731,250 |
Underrepresented Communities and Tribes Set-Aside in the Urban and Mulitbenefit Drought Relief Program
The Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Drought Relief Program is one of two Department of Water Resources (DWR) drought relief grant programs that offers financial assistance to address drought impacts through the implementation of projects with multiple benefits. Under the Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Program, DWR set aside at least $50 million to support underrepresented communities (URCs) and Native American Tribes (Tribes). This set aside will be distributed via the IRWM program. Up to approximately $5 million dollars was available to the Colorado River Funding Area. Allocation of these funds were determined by the Coachella Valley, Mojave, San Gorgonio, and Imperial Regional Water Management Groups. In total, 11 drought relief projects in the Colorado River Funding Area were funded, including $2.2 million for Coachella Valley.
Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Funding
| Project | Agency | IRWM Region | Amount |
| CV Water Counts – Regional Water Conservation Incentive Program | Desert Water Agency | Coachella Valley | $918,984 |
| Well 22 Rehabilitation | Mission Springs Water District | Coachella Valley | $338,787 |
| Valley View Mobile Home Park Consolidation | Coachella Valley Water District | Coachella Valley | $600,000 |
| Grant Administration | Coachella Valley Water District | Coachella Valley | $355,000 |
| Well C8 Drilling and Equipping | City of Banning | San Gorgonio | $513,000 |
| Juniper Riviera County Water Well No. 03 Profiling and Modification | Juniper Riviera County Water District | Mojave | $198,217 |
| Residential Water Meter Replacement Program | Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency | Mojave | $235,000 |
| Lucerne Valley Groundwater Recharge Project | Mojave Water Agency | Mojave | $202,590 |
| Estancia Park Sprinkler Replacement | Heber Public Utility District | Imperial | $130,374 |
| Heber PUD Water Pipeline Installation | Heber Public Utility District | Imperial | $542,184 |
| Bicarbonate Contaminant Treatment | Palo Verde County Water District | Imperial | $250,000 |
| Golf Course Irrigation Efficiency Project – Phase 1 | City of Needles | N/A | $715,538 |
Prop 84
PROPOSITION 84, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Costal Protection Act was passed by California voters in November 2006. Administered by State of California Department of Water Resources, known as DWR, Proposition 84 included funding for the IRWM Grant Program. This bond act provided $5.4 billion for various water related purposes and $1 billion for Integrated Regional Water Management Planning efforts. This IRWMP funding was allocated by region with $36 million for the Colorado River Region and $100m in unallocated funding.
Proposition 84 Grant Funding
| Grant Solicitation Name | Number of Projects Funded | Total Grant Award | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning Grant | 1 | $1,000,000 | Complete |
| DAC Outreach Grant | 1 | $500,000 | Complete |
| Implementation – Round 1 | 4 | $4,000,000 | Complete |
| Implementation – Round 2 | 8 | $5,240,000 | Complete |
| Implementation – Round 3 | 2 | $5,270,636 | Complete |
| Implementation – Round 4 | 6 | $2,361,627 | Underway |
| TOTAL | 22 | $18,372,263 |