Mojave Water Agency receives federal grant for fugitive wash research
The Mojave Water Agency recently received a federal grant to fund geophysical research and the installation of monitoring wells at five temporary flushing sites.
The $400,000 grant comes from the Bureau of Reclamation’s SMART (Water Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) applied sciences program, agency officials said.
Rainfall-dependent streams (ephemeral) flow only after rainfall. Rainfall runoff is the primary source of water for these streams. Like seasonal streams, they can be found anywhere but are most common in dry areas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“As we adapt to a hotter, drier future, it is critical that we understand the contribution of uninvestigated leaching to groundwater throughout our service area,” said Wesley Massoll, senior hydrogeologist at the Mojave Water Agency and project leader for the grantee.
Massoll added that the results of this scientific study will help the agency create more accurate groundwater models that will enable better groundwater basin management and decision-making in the future.
The WaterSMART Applied Science grants provide cost-shared financial support for developing hydrologic information and water management tools, as well as improving modeling and forecasting capabilities to meet a variety of water management goals, the agency said.
“The Mojave Water Agency is grateful for the partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation. As a public agency serving severely disadvantaged communities, we are diligently seeking grant opportunities to offset the costs of these important watershed improvement projects,” said General Manager Adnan Anabtawi.
The project, collecting data
This award will cover nearly half of the $897,408 planned cost for this phase of the Ephemeral Wash Project. The project is part of a five-year plan to identify gaps in surface and groundwater recharge data within the basin.
The data gaps will be filled by installing monitoring wells and rain gauges to measure rainfall, water runoff and spring water recharge in the selected river mouths.
The data collected will provide estimates of groundwater recharge and runoff, enabling more accurate groundwater modelling.
“The Mojave Water Agency prides itself on making science-based decisions to ensure our region’s water resilience,” said Board Chair Kimberly Cox. “This data will help us respond appropriately to more extreme droughts, floods, rising temperatures and changing regulations, strengthening our basin management strategies.”
