In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the park district’s agreement with the water agency, retroactive to last September and continuing until June 30, 2029.

The two entities first formed a compact in 2022, under which the park district deployed three uniformed rangers and a part-time field maintenance technician to take care of segments of the Santa Ana that tie into the Hidden Valley wetlands, Louis Rubidoux Parkland marsh and surrounding locations.

The deployment was for the benefit of the San Bernardino Municipal Valley Water District’s “Upper Santa Ana River Tributaries Restoration Project,” which is well underway.

The project has been aimed at safeguarding habitat for the Santa Ana sucker fish, which is native to the river and has been listed as “threatened” aquatic life on the U.S. Endangered Species Act going back a quarter century. Some area water agencies have challenged the listing in federal court, but the designation hasn’t changed, despite disruptions to fresh water access stemming from the protections.

Under the new agreement between SBVMWD and the park district, the water agency will increase annual funding to ensure there are four uniformed rangers and a full-time field maintenance tech working around the tributaries on a regular basis.

The annual cost for the personnel will be $1.017 million, all of which will come from the water district, according to the agreement.

“Because of the ecological sensitivity of these sites and their proximity to developed urban areas, additional patrols and proactive management efforts are necessary to prevent damage from improper land use,” the park district said. “The ongoing presence of uniformed rangers conducting patrols in marked vehicles has effectively reduced illegal dumping, unauthorized encampments, trespassing and vegetation clearing, helping to protect conservation objectives.”

Improvements to riparian spaces connected to the Santa Ana involve multiple agencies, including the Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District, which is upgrading the levee system.

The Santa Ana River bottom is a magnet for the homeless, who erect encampments on an ongoing basis. Brush fires and other environmental impacts are often blamed on them.

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On Tuesday February 25th, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) and the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District (BCVWD) announced a $1.5 million Bureau of Reclamation grant award that will go toward water conservation efforts. The announcement comes after Dr. Ruiz advocated for the BCVWD’s application for a WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency grant in a letter to Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman in September. The project will help increase water conservation and reduce water costs for residents in Beaumont, Cherry Valley, and parts of Calimesa.

“Having clean drinking water in our drought-prone area is important for our communities’ health, which is why I am thrilled to have helped secure $1.5 million for water conservation efforts for the residents of Beaumont and Cherry Valley,” Dr. Ruiz said. “Inefficient meter reading systems leave residents vulnerable to undetectable water leaks, which can waste scarce drinking water and increase residents’ water bills. This grant will improve the area’s water resource management, which saves water and saves money.”

“Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District is honored to be chosen as a recipient for a WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant,” said General Manager Dan Jaggers. “Our entire community will benefit from metering upgrades, bringing the District increased efficiency and our customers real-time leak detection capability while saving water, electricity and reducing overall water cost to customers within our service area.”

Background:

Current tracking of water usage is done through monthly manual meter readings, which leaves residents vulnerable to undetected water leaks that result in unnecessary waste of scarce potable water resources.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) provides real-time radio transmitted data of water usage, which leads to reduced water waste through active monitoring leak detection and customer education about water usage.

BCVWD’s AMI project would work hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal water conservation efforts and seeks to address California’s long-standing water shortages.

The Bureau of Reclamation selects projects around the country to receive the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants to help projects use water more efficiently and effectively across the Western United States.

The types of projects receiving funding include canal lining; advanced water metering; flow measurement and real-time monitoring of water deliveries; and pressurized irrigation systems.

Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability by modernizing existing infrastructure. Visit www.usbr.gov/watersmart to learn more.

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