The Department of Water Resources (“DWR”) manages the Integrated Regional Water Management Grant Program (“IRWM Grant Program”) which improves, upgrades, and modernizes California’s water infrastructure.  The Kern IRWM Program pertains to the Tulare Lake portion of the IRWM Program; the City of Bakersfield (“City”) lies within this area.

In 2022, City; Arvin-Edison Water Storage District (“A-EWSD”); Rainbird Valley Mutual Water Company (“RVMWC”); and Oildale Mutual Water Company (“OMWC”) (collectively, “Grantees”) submitted to DWR a Proposition 1, Round 2, IRWM Implementation Grant Application (the “Grant”) to fund Kern IRWM Program projects.  In February 2023, the IRWM Grant Program awarded approximately $6,244,000 to the Grantees in order to implement the Grant’s projects. 

City directly benefits from this Grant in that funds will be made available to renovate and expand the Kern River Weir increasing its capacity, eliminating a ‘pinch point’ on the Kern River, and further securing water supply to the City and its contractual partners.

The Grant requires City to perform as a “Grant Administrator.”  This requires City to coordinate with the three Local Project Sponsors (“LPSs”) in order to properly manage the Grant.  To that end, and in accord with the Grant’s requirements, City will execute a subgrantee agreement between it and the three LPSs: A-EWSD; RVMWC; and OMWC.

Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group (“P&P”) is an experienced engineering consulting firm with which City has conducted extensive business in the past and with satisfactory results.  City desires that P&P be hired to guide and assist City in navigating the IRWM Grant administration process, to provide day-to-day reporting, and to facilitate the necessary communication and coordination among the CITY, LPSs and DWR.  Regarding compensation, the Agreement provides that P&P shall provide to City for its review and approval, itemized invoices describing the work conducted, the total of which shall not exceed $143,000.