Metropolitan Water District joined with Palo Verde Irrigation District Wednesday (May 21) to launch a new program to support and strengthen the Palo Verde Valley community, as local farmers temporarily fallow part of their land to conserve water and help stabilize the Colorado River.
The Community Enhancement Collaborative will provide $8 million to small businesses, public agencies and other community organizations for projects that support the greater Palo Verde Valley, which stretches across Riverside and Imperial counties.
“Palo Verde farmers are helping the entire Colorado River basin through their efforts to reduce their water use. We are grateful for their contribution and want to support the continued success of their community,” said Cynthia Kurtz, chair of the Metropolitan board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Ag and Tribal Partnerships. ”
After Lake Mead reached a record low three years ago, California committed to contribute 1.6 million acre-feet of water to the reservoir by the end of 2026. To support this commitment, landowners in the Palo Verde Valley agreed to fallow nearly 26,000 acres of farmland – nearly 30% of valley farmland – for three years, under an agreement between PVID, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Metropolitan. The agreement builds on a long-standing fallowing program between Metropolitan and PVID, through which farmers are paid to refrain from irrigating a portion of their land.
“As we work to renegotiate the long-term, post-2026 rules for Colorado River operations, we know that everyone who relies on water from the river is going to have to use less,” Metropolitan General Manager Deven Upadhyay said. “To be successful, we have to work together to ensure all our communities can thrive, even with less water.”
Metropolitan’s board voted in February to join with PVID to fund the initiative, which supports business development, public health and safety, schools and other projects.
The new program builds on a Community Improvement Fund established when Metropolitan and PVID first forged their land fallowing agreement in 2005. Metropolitan launched the Community Improvement Fund by providing $6 million to the non-profit agency in 2007. It has since provided dozens of loans to local small businesses and grants to organizations that support workforce training and small business development in the Palo Verde Valley, supporting the creation and retention of hundreds of jobs.
For more information about the program and future updates, visit here.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Media Contacts