USDA Gives Nearly $10 Million For California Drought Relief

More than 80% of California is now in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. (Courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor) — More than 80 percent of California is now in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. (Courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor)

A day after the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that more than 80 percent of California is now experiencing extreme drought, the federal government is giving the state $9.7 million. The money will help California communities hit hardest by the severe dry spell, including Cloverdale in Sonoma County.

Much of the aid will help Californians whose wells have dried up connect to the municipal water supply. Some 73,000 Californians in 11 counties are expected to be impacted by the relief funding.

U.S. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack is visiting the state today and says he's witnessed the emotional toll the drought is taking on some Californians.

"If you don't have an opportunity to talk with folks who are experiencing this on a day to day basis in a real way, you can sometimes lose sight," he said.

He added that his department won't have any more funds to hand out unless Congress passes the drought assistance bills championed by California's legislators. The Obama administration says it has given more than $50 million to help Californians deal with the three-year drought.

"The best thing to happen would be for Congress to take action on the drought assistance bill," Vilsack said. "(S)o that California and other states can better prepare for what are going to be very difficult circumstances with changing weather patterns."

Here's the project list from the USDA:

Recipient	Project Description	ECWAG Amount	County
Jackson Valley Irrigation District	Floating pump station, pipeline	$500,000	Amador
River Pines Public Utility District	Well replacement	$392,000	Amador
New Auberry Water Assoc.	Well and water hauling	$400,000	Fresno
City of Huron	Water allocation purchase	$500,000	Fresno
City of Orange Cove	Water allocation purchase	$390,000	Fresno
Frazier Park Public Utility District	Well replacement	$500,000	Kern
Lake of the Woods Mutual Water Company	Tank, pumps, well	$500,000	Kern
Madera County	Well replacement for Parkwood	$500,000	Madera
Mariposa Public Utility District	Purchase existing well, replace pump	$181,470	Mariposa
Placer County Water Agency	Connect Ophir Gardens	$500,000	Placer
Mountain Gate Community Services District	Well and Pipe Extension	$289,000	Shasta
City of Montague	Buying bottled water	$200,000	Siskiyou
City of Cloverdale	Deaeration treatment	$285,000	Sonoma
Alpaugh Community Services District	Well extension and pump	$250,000	Tulare
Earlimart Public Utility District	Well replacement	$500,000	Tulare
Pixley Public Utility District	Well replacement	$500,000	Tulare
Terra Bella Irrigation District	Water allocation purchase	$287,100	Tulare
Teviston Community Services District	Well repair and New well	$500,000	Tulare
Tipton Community Services District	Well replacement	$500,000	Tulare
City of Farmersville	Connect Cameron Creek Colony	$500,000	Tulare
London Community Services District	Well replacement	$500,000	Tulare
Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District	Water allocation purchase	$65,500	Tulare
Poplar Community Services District	Well extension and pump	$462,000	Tulare
Strathmore Public Utility District	Water allocation purchase	$28,500	Tulare
Groveland Community Services District	Water treatment plant	$500,000	Tuolumne
	TOTAL	$9,730,570

The Associated Press and Katrina Schwartz contributed to this report.

USDA Gives Nearly $10 Million For California Drought Relief

Here's the project list from the USDA:

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