Storm Runoff Water To Be Collected For Pass Area Residents

PASS AREA, CA — Construction will begin next month on a multimillion-dollar project to collect stormwater that will be delivered to hundreds of Pass Area families a year, officials announced Thursday.

Work on the $7,558,650 Beaumont Master Drainage Plan Line 16 project is designed to boost local water supplies and reduce flooding in the Pass Area, according to the announcement from the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District.

The joint project that also involves the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District will consist of an underground storm drain that collects runoff and delivers up to 500 acre-feet of water a year to Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District's existing recharge ponds that feed the Beaumont groundwater basin.

Five hundred acre-feet of water are equal to about 163 million gallons of water. The amount is enough to supply water to approximately 900 Pass Area families a year, according to the BCVWD.

The project will run from BCVWD’s Phase II Recharge Ponds within Grand Avenue easterly to Bellflower Avenue. The storm-drain main will run within Grand Avenue and have catch-basin collection points located at Noble Street, Cherry Avenue, Jonathan Avenue, Winesap Avenue, and Bellflower Avenue, according to project spokesperson Nisha Ajmani Wade.

"Securing additional water to support long-term regional water sustainability and ensure a dependable supply for customers is more important than ever, as the state experiences severe drought and faces uncertain weather conditions due to climate change," according to the BCVWD announcement.

Without the project, stormwater would continue to flow along Brookside Avenue, directly into Marshall Creek, and be lost downstream, BCVWD officials said.

“The project area often experiences flooding with even just small amounts of rain,” said BCVWD Board Vice President Andy Ramirez. “By working together to manage and collect stormwater, we can minimize the flood impacts to our community and strategically grow our local water resources while promoting a sustainable water future.”

BCVWD’s supplies come from the State Water Project and local groundwater. The district has a large storage capacity in the Beaumont Basin, and "strategically seeks opportunities to add to that underground supply bank in preparation for water shortages," according to the district.

The collaborative project that is expected to be completed by June 2023 is being funded by the BCVWD, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, as well as state grant money.

“Planning and collaboration between [BCVWD and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District] emphasizes our dedication to protecting residents from flooding and ensuring water reliability for the region,” said Jason Uhley, general manager-chief engineer at Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. “We recently partnered to prevent flooding and debris flow from local burn scars, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to continue working together on this important project.”