This page contains information for local agency partners about drought funding opportunities and resources

It's no secret that Mendocino County is in a historic drought and the County and local agencies are working hard to alleviate water shortages. But how is it all being paid for and how are we preparing for the future? For the past few months, local water suppliers have been developing projects to submit for emergency drought funding, both to help deliver water for immediate use and to implement projects for long-term resiliency. This page will host information for local agency partners about drought funding opportunities!

 For additional drought-related resources and news, please visit the Mendocino County Drought and Conservation Resources page.

On April 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a Secretarial disaster designation for California counties experiencing drought intensity levels of D2, D3, and D4.

The designation makes USDA assistance available in the form of emergency farm loans for both physical and crop production losses as a direct result of the disaster, up to a maximum of $500,000. The application deadline is December 8, 2022 and the assistance is available to farmers and ranchers who conduct family-sized farming operations.

To apply: Contact local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Ukiah at 707-468-9223. Hearing impaired individuals should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600. Additional information can be found at the USDA website.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is also making Economic Injury Disaster Loans available pursuant to the USDA disaster designation. The SBA application deadline is also December 8, 2022 and assistance is available to small, non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private non-profit organizations of any size. Small businesses include those that do business directly with the growers, such as truckers and suppliers of agricultural equipment or services.

To apply: Contact SBA at 1-800-659-2955, or visit SBA’s website, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Hearing impaired individuals may call 1-800-877-8339.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released the Grant Program Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package for approximately $193 million in grant funding to help local agencies advance water infrastructure and resilience projects. This critical statewide funding will support projects such as water desalination, wastewater treatment, water conservation, and groundwater recharge as California plans for a fourth year of drought.

Financed by voter-approved Proposition 1, $167.5 million is available through the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program to implement projects that respond to local challenges by improving water supply reliability, reducing fire risk, increasing water storage, and improving water quality -- including treating drinking water -- while adapting for future challenges caused by climate change and drought. The remaining $25.5 million is reserved to fund projects that will benefit disadvantaged communities.

DWR will deliver the funding through two phases and will require applications for the first phase to be submitted by August 19 of this year. Applications for the second phase of funding must be submitted by February 1, 2023. Applicants must coordinate through their respective established IRWM Regional Water Management Group and can submit grant applications using DWR’s online submittal tool, GRanTS. DWR expects to announce the first phase of awards later this fall and the second phase in spring 2023.

This solicitation will award all remaining funding in the Proposition 1 IRWM Program. In 2020, DWR awarded $211 million to 42 IRWM regions for implementation projects including approximately $25 million for projects benefiting disadvantaged communities.

The guidelines and proposal solicitation package, as well as detailed information on the solicitation requirements, procedures, and process can be accessed at the Implementation Grant Program webpage.

Grant Contact:
Allison Armstrong, Information Officer, Public Affairs, Department of Water Resources
916-820-7652 | Allison.Armstrong@water.ca.gov

DWR Program Assists Tribal and Underrepresented Communities with Groundwater Challenges

Within the State of California, Tribes and underrepresented communities face many challenges accessing clean, affordable water supplies such as groundwater – especially during droughts. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is offering technical assistance services to Tribal and underrepresented communities to help address these challenges and support local Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation.

DWR’s Underrepresented Community Technical Assistance program identifies communities throughout California with water supply issues such as dry groundwater wells, water shortages, or poor water quality. The program is currently offering free needs assessments and preliminary engineering reports to help communities determine potential projects for future funding. Once vulnerabilities are identified, the program conducts site visits and workshops to gather valuable feedback from community members on the challenges their community is facing.

The program is also offering educational materials on the basics of SGMA and the roles and responsibilities of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies or other entities to help communities understand who is responsible for SGMA implementation in their geographic area.

For more information about the Underrepresented Community Technical Assistance program and upcoming funding, visit DWR’s SGM Grant Program page.

The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses. 

ERP covers losses to crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to a qualifying natural disaster event in calendar years 2020 and 2021.  Eligible crops include all crops for which crop insurance or NAP coverage was available, except for crops intended for grazing. Qualifying natural disaster events include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions.  

For drought, ERP assistance is available if any area within the county in which the loss occurred was rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a: 

• D2 (severe drought) for eight consecutive weeks; or
• D3 (extreme drought) or higher level of drought intensity. 

Lists of 2020 and 2021 drought counties eligible for ERP is available on the emergency relief website. 

To streamline and simplify the delivery of ERP phase one benefits, FSA will send pre-filled application forms to producers where crop insurance and NAP data are already on file. This form includes eligibility requirements, outlines the application process and provides ERP payment calculations. Producers will receive a separate application form for each program year in which an eligible loss occurred. Receipt of a pre-filled application is not confirmation that a producer is eligible to receive an ERP phase one payment. 

More Information   
Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, producers should contact their local  USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.   

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov. 

Additional Resources

2021 Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Grant Program: Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package

2021 Guidelines for the Small Community Drought Relief Program

10/15/21 Mendocino County Drought Funding Workshop Presentation Slidedeck

California DWR Drought Funding Information Session - 09/16/21:

For more information, please email Michael Harrigan at harriganm@mendocinocounty.org