BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — All this recent winter weather and resulting rain have state leaders working to capture it for future use.
In Fresno, Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot joined with officials from across the Central Valley to highlight $15 million in funding from the department's Water Management Program. That money going to multiple communities impacted by drought, including Bakersfield.
Those funds will help with groundwater recharge, stormwater capture, and overall conservation efforts.
"The city of Bakersfield has a lot of water recharge projects in the area and this will allow us to fill those recharge projects and recharge the groundwater aquifer," said Daniel R. Maldonado, assistant water resources director for the city of Bakersfield.
This funding comes from the Water Resources Department budget.
And Central Valley farmers are rushing to take advantage of last month's storms and the low water rates that came with it.
Growers are aiming to build temporary basins for sinking water into aquifers to boost groundwater and carry them into the years to come.
One farm management firm has already built 20 temporary basins in the last few weeks. And other farmers are even taking to removing trees to create more room to store water underground.
