Partnerships for shared delivery and storage systems
East Branch Extension
The East Branch Extension, or EBX, is the portion of the State Water Project (SWP) that conveys water to the Pass area. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) added the EBX to the SWP in the 1990s. The project was a partnership between the DWR, the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (Valley District), and the Agency. Construction of Phase 1 was completed in 2003. Phase 2 was completed in 2017. The EBX is operated by the Agency and Valley District under an agreement with the DWR. Click here to view EBX Contract.
The East Branch Extension begins at Devil Canyon Power Plant in San Bernardino (near the Cal State, San Bernardino campus) and traverses the cities of San Bernardino, Highland, and Yucaipa before crossing into Riverside County. It then traverses the City of Calimesa and the community of Cherry Valley before ending near the intersection of Orchard Street and Noble Street.
East Branch Extension Phase 2
Phase 2 of the East Branch Extension — the series of pipes, pump stations, and reservoirs that convey water to the Pass area from Devil Canyon Power Plant in the City of San Bernardino — was designed to allow the Agency to import its full allotment of 17,300 acre-feet of water in a year. The project consists of six miles of 66-inch pipe under the Santa Ana River and through Mentone to Yucaipa, the new Citrus Pump Station and Reservoir in Mentone, and additional pumps for the Crafton Hills and Cherry Valley Pump Stations.
Our shared delivery and storage system along the East Branch Extension of the SWP includes:
- 5 pump stations
- 2 reservoirs
- 2 active SWP recharge facilities in the Pass Area:
- 1 owned and operated by SGPWA
- 1 owned and operated by Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District
- One customer (Yucaipa Valley Water District) that takes direct delivery of SWP water through a partnership with San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District
- Several other recharge facilities planned by SGPWA
- Approximately 50 miles of pipeline for the East Branch Extension of the SWP
- 7 metering stations
Ability to store more water for future use
Brookside Recharge Facility
The Brookside Recharge Facility is a groundwater recharge facility that enables the Agency to import more water in wet years when it is available and store it in the local groundwater basin. By adding the ability to store more water in local aquifers, the facility will help to drought-proof the region. Storage is key to surviving droughts. The facility, located at the southwest corner of Brookside and Beaumont Avenue in Beaumont, consists of five large ponds, a pipeline connecting the ponds to the East Branch Extension under Orchard Street, and a new connection to the East Branch Extension.
Brookside West Recharge Facility
SGPWA is currently expanding local recharge at Brookside West Recharge Facility, adjacent to the existing Brookside Recharge Facility. Brookside West Recharge Facility will provide an additional 62 acres of land to increase recharge capacity by around 9,000 acre-feet per year and help the area to import its full allocation. The site strengthens our drought-prone region with additional storage during wet periods, creating a reserve that can be tapped during dry spells. SGPWA is also working with local water retailers to develop additional recharge facilities in multiple locations.
