Skip to content
Decorative vector

District’s Mentone Shop Gets a Refresh

The foundation at the district’s new Mentone Shop is ready for concrete to be poured. Photo Credit: Manuel Colunga

District’s Mentone shop gets a refresh

Long-awaited construction is underway at the district’s Mentone Shop which is the base for our field team and where equipment is stored. The existing shop has served the water conservation district for many decades, and the expansion will provide much needed improvements including protecting equipment from the sun, weather, and critters. There will also be additional space to store shovels, weed eaters, blowers, and the portable generators that help open the gates at the new Mill Creek facility. “Everyone is very excited about the new redesigned space and we can’t wait to move in,” said Manuel Colunga, Field Supervisor at the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District.


Deadline for Women In Water Scholarship Fund

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-2025 academic year from the Women in Water Scholarship Fund. With a growing number of women coming into the field of western water resources, this scholarship is for those who wish to work in water law, civil or hydrologic engineering, water education, environmental analysis and compliance, advocacy, and more. Applicants must be a college junior or senior pursuing a Bachelor’s degree and majoring in areas related to western water resources development, management, conservation, education, or advocacy. This is the sixth scholarship award season from Funding Women in Water and they are looking for financial support to ensure the fund’s scholarships for years to come. The application deadline is July 1, 2024.
Apply here


A male purple miner bee (Andrena prunorum). Photo Credit: Krystle Hickman

Earth Day 2024 – starring native bees

On Saturday April 20, the district partnered with the San Bernardino Valley County Museum for a successful Earth Day celebration. Krystle Hickman, a National Geographic Explorer, TEDx speaker, conservation photographer, and community scientist based out of Los Angeles gave a workshop titled “Artful Community Science: Supporting Native Bees and Climate-Resilient Ecosystems Through Photography.” Ms. Hickman shared tips for photographing native bees with a camera or cell phone to identify the critical species in backyards, city parks, and nature preserves. To see samples of Ms. Hickman’s incredible macro photographs of native bees, visit: www.instagram.com/beesip

IN THE NEWS:

L.A.’s water supplies are in good shape. But is the city ready for the next drought?
California’s second wet winter in a row has left L.A.’s water supplies in good shape, and the city has used its reprieve from drought to make progress on water-saving infrastructure projects. But the inevitable return to dry conditions could once again put the city’s residents in a precarious position.
Read more

New Kern County groundwater bank gets underway with another shot of public funding
The $171 million Kern Fan Groundwater Storage project — with a unique “eco-twist” — received another chunk of public funding just as the first section of the 1,300-acre project had a formal christening….
Read more
 

Vintage Santa Ana River Wash

Workers in 1933 construct the Pedley Wall in the Santa Ana River Wash, San Bernardino County. Photo Credit: SBVWCD

About the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District:

For nearly a century, the SBVWCD has stewarded the San Bernardino Valley water basin and the native species of the Upper Santa Ana River Wash. Its collaborative approach to project management assures high-quality local water supplies for people, agriculture, and the environment. This includes groundwater recharge and oversight, and protection of habitat and native species in the Wash.