Water Deal 'Significantly Increases' Pass Area Supplies

SAN GORGONIO PASS AREA, CA — A 20-year water transfer agreement announced Wednesday is expected to "significantly increase supplies" for Pass Area communities, according to officials.

The agreement — which means access to 10,000 acre-feet of city Ventura water starting this year — brings SGPWA's State Water Project allocation to as much as 27,300 acre-feet annually. It's enough to supply about 81,900 families yearly, according to a news release from SGPWA.

The deal between the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency and the city of Ventura was approved by the California Department of Water Resources on December 29.

SGPWA imports supplemental water to recharge area groundwater basins and sell to local retail water providers. Its State Water Project allocations vary annually based on California's water conditions. This year's snowpack resulted in a 100% allocation, a number that rose over the past few months due to unexpected levels of precipitation. The last time this happened was in 2006, according to the news release.

"Recent increases in State Water Project allocations are a welcome relief after drought impacts. This partnership gives us the ability to immediately move additional water into the area to replenish groundwater supplies," SGPWA Board of Directors President Larry Smith said. "With more severe and frequent droughts expected, storing this water for future use is critical to long-term water sustainability for the communities we serve."

The State Water Project is the nation's largest state-built water and power development conveyance system. The primary purpose of the project is to provide a water supply and delivery system to distribute water across California. The SWP consists of dozens of reservoirs and lakes, more than 700 miles of aqueducts, five power plants, and two dozen pumping plants. The SWP delivers water to 29 urban and agricultural water suppliers in California, the SGPWA being one of them.

Under the agreement announced Wednesday, SGPWA will receive Ventura's entire SWP allocation — up to 10,000 acre-feet of water per year — from 2022 until the city completes its own pipeline to receive SWP supplies. After that, Ventura has the option to retain up to 2,000 acre-feet per year, with any remaining water going to SGPWA.

SGPWA has purchased all or part of Ventura's SWP allocations on a single-year basis since 2018, but this is the first multi-year deal.

In exchange for the water, SGPWA will pay Ventura's annual fixed costs for the SWP in full until Ventura's connection to the SWP is built and for 60% of the yearly fixed costs after that through 2042. SGPWA has the option to use the transferred water in its service area, store it, deliver it to a water bank, or sell it.

According to the release, several local water providers currently benefit from SGPWA water imports either directly or through arrangements with other local retail suppliers. They are: Banning Heights Mutual Water Company, Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District, City of Banning, City of Beaumont, City of Calimesa, High Valleys Water District, and Yucaipa Valley Water District.

Learn more about SGPWA at www.sgpwa.com.