Borrego Sun - Since 1949

Prop. 68 Projects

 

Last updated 10/28/2024 at 8:24am



In the last Sun we reported on how BWD has spent the grant funds it was awarded from Proposition 68 monies. Here we describe the projects funded for work by other organizations in Borrego Springs. Borrego should be very grateful for these funds to be used to assist us in implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

BORREGO SPRINGS WATERMASTER – will receive $2.7M total. The Watermaster is the new “boss” in Borrego water matters. Its Board consists of a representative and an alternate from each of the five major sectors of water users: agriculture, recreation/golf, the BWD, the County, and the Community. The volunteers on the Board are supported in technical and management efforts by the consulting firm of West Yost.

One WM task, evaluating different methods of restoring fallowed citrus farm lands ($755K), already has visible effects. You might have seen the dead citrus trees at the north end of DiGiorgio Road. They were culled so that the water rights BPA) that go with that land can be sold off – to BWD, for much of the acreage. The dead trees are being handled in different ways in order to evaluate how quickly native plants repopulate that land.

The larger task (roughly $2M) is to perform various actions required by SGMA, such as developing a comprehensive network of monitoring wells (for both quantity and quality) in the basin, creating Annual Reports to DWR and the Judge overseeing the adjudication, and re-estimating the Sustainable Yield/SY of the aquifer (how much water can be pumped out without creating undesirable results). As was reported recently in the Sun, the Sustainable Yield has recently been re-examined; it is now (after an adjustment since the last report in The Sun) set at approximately 7900 AF (acre feet per year), an increase of about 2200 AF over the original estimated SY of 5700AF, upon which Baseline Pumping Allocations were set. This seems to be good news, but be aware that the SY will again be examined 5 years from now to try to ensure that it’s a realistic figure.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE – will receive about $1M.

The task is to consider any Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem/s (GDEs) in the basin: to determine if there are any, to assess their status if so, and to monitor their health.

Results from the first year of measurements and remote sensing analyses are consistent with groundwater use across much of the mesquite bosque habitat near the Borrego Sink.

BORREGO SPRINGS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, for some projects in coordination with the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association/ABDNHA, and the Borrego Art Institute’s ArtPark – will receive $384K. This is an education Component, with most funds going toward developing and teaching an Environment and Energy course at the High School, as community- and visitor-oriented signage and demonstration projects at ABDNHA and the ArtPark.

BORREGO VALLEY STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (a program of the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center) – will receive $250K. The BVSC has held several educational events, Borrego U; has sponsored a detailed survey of future community needs, desires, and non-desires; and will create a comprehensive White Paper characterizing the Borrego Valley Basin in hydrological, economic, etc. terms.

Work on all projects must be completed by the end of March 2025, so that final reports and invoiced can be submitted, and paid, by DWR by June 30, 2025.

 
 
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