The Go Golden initiative highlights the state’s partnership with local organizations and water agencies, as “Golden Partners”, to implement projects that address water infrastructure, water conservation, well rehabilitation and fish and wildlife protection as California prepares for a more resilient future driven by climate change. These partnerships help ensure California can provide reliable access to water for millions of Californians as our climate continues to shift by implementing tactics from Governor Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy for a Hotter and Drier Future and investing billions of dollars in grant funding.
We’re currently working with our Golden Partners to invest in bold and innovative projects that strengthen California’s water infrastructure and resiliency, including:
More information about the grant programs behind these investments can be found on our Grants and Loans page.
A few of the projects we’ve invested in are highlighted below:
The underserved City of Dorris in Siskiyou County has been impacted by gradually dwindling groundwater supplies as a direct result of hotter and drier conditions in California. As a proposed solution, the state is funding $3.7 million to deepen the existing well and replace leaky pipelines ensuring drinking water supplies for the city’s residents.
For nearly 100 years, the San Luis Obispo Water Recovery Facility has supported sustainable water management for the residents and businesses it serves. Now, thanks to DWR funding, the facility will add a membrane bioreactor and ultraviolet disinfection system to increase the quality of water produced there – positioning its water for potable use and treating an average of 5.4 million gallons of groundwater per day.
State funding is enabling San Francisco Zoo to convert a portion of its groundwater supply to recycled water – eliminating the need for nearly 100 million gallons of groundwater per year. That water can now be redirected to the residents and business of San Francisco as high-quality, potable water.
DWR grant funding is helping construct a pipeline from the San Vicente Water Reclamation Plant to an existing non-potable pipeline on the Barona Reservation, providing up to 250 acre-feet per year of recycled water for non-potable needs to the Barona Tribe. This means that the Barona Tribe will be able to use this water for irrigation, allowing it to reserve its groundwater for the critical drinking water needs of its residents and increasing its groundwater levels in the face of drought.
DWR is providing $9.7 million to improve flood protection on the Yuba River for up to a 200-year flood event, which will bolster flood protection for the surrounding communities? and protect downstream levees all while improving the natural habitat on the river.
Interested parties can stay up to date with the latest “Go Golden” announcements and news through DWR’s email subscription list.
Household leaks waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water nationwide every year, enough to provide water to over 11 million homes. During Fix a Leak Week (March 18 to March 24), the Department of Water Resources (DWR) encourages everyone to find and fix leaks inside and outside their home to save water.
As part of our continued partnership with local experts to make strategic investments in water supply resilience projects across the state, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) presented a $5.5 million grant to the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District to support groundwater resilience in Central Coast communities, including disadvantaged ...