Bond Act: Proposition 84
Agency of Appropriation: Department of Water Resources
Bond Statute: 75050(c)
Implementing Statute: water code section 11900-11925
- Front-end
- In-progress
- Follow-up (Audit)
The Davis-Dolwig Act was established by Water Code §11900-11925 for funding the enhancement of fish and wildlife and recreation in connection with State Water Project facilities. DWR will use Proposition 84 Bond proceeds to fund the state’s allocable share of Recreation and Fish and Wildlife Enhancement (RFWE) costs associated with facility improvements included in the Perris Dam Remediation Program (PDRP), a capitalized construction program. The balance of PDRP funding allocable to power and water supply is covered by Water Bonds sold as part of the State Water Resources Development System. The PDRP projects include the development, rehabilitation, land acquisition, and restoration of Perris Dam to meet current seismic design criteria and for improvements to further protect life and property downstream of Perris Dam. Upon PDRP completion, Lake Perris will be restored to full operational capacity which will result in full public access to recreation, and fish and wildlife enhancements at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. The Perris Dam Remediation Program (PDRP) consists of multiple projects. The first project is the Perris Dam Remediation Project and involves excavating a portion of the downstream toe of the dam, improving the dam’s foundation with cement-deep soil-mixing to treat the liquefiable soils beneath the dam foundation, replacing the excavated foundation material with a compacted engineered fill, and then constructing a stability berm along the downstream toe of the dam. The second project is the Perris Dam Remediation Environmental & Right of Way Project and involves purchasing program mitigation property, conducting required restoration on newly acquired mitigation property, coordinating tasks assigned to the environmental services contractor, and filing and obtaining permits required for construction. The purchasing of land in the Perris Dam Remediation Environmental & Right of Way Project qualifies the project as a capital expenditure project. The Perris Dam Remediation Environmental & Right of Way Project also provides monitoring during construction as required by permits and the Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program.
The PDRP projects are based on The Department of Water Resources (DWR) evaluating the most feasible options to address the seismic concerns at Perris Dam; furthermore, the projects are endorsed by an independent consulting board and the state’s Division of Safety of Dams, and supported by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWDSC) the principal recipient and user of water from Lake Perris. All PDRP projects require compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and must appropriately mitigate for any project impacts by implementing best management practices, providing replacement habitat or threatened or endangered species, and be mindful of California’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. These two PDRP projects are consistent with provisions of DWR’s Strategic Planning Goals, specifically Planning Goal #2 to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the State Water Project to achieve maximum flexibility, safety, and reliability.
PDRP project funding shall be spent according to the approved project scope and budget. Bond expenditures funded by this program component are, by statute, limited to the state’s allocable share of Recreation, and Fish and Wildlife Enhancement (RFWE) costs for the PDRP. DWR requires status reports for all projects and will report PDRP progress on construction status, environmental monitoring, and RFWE compliance requirements. The PDRP Program Manager will update semi-annual progress reports for all approved projects under the program. The Project Managers and their staff will conduct regular inspections to track work progress. The Program Manager and Project Managers are responsible for reviewing invoices and expenditures, and ensuring that they fall under the RFWE component of the program and thus eligible for Proposition 84 Bond funding. The RFWE component for the PDRP is 32.2% of the total program cost. DWR will associate eligible costs to the applicable Proposition 84 project. Periodic updates will be made to the public Bond Accountability website to ensure the program 3-part accountability write-ups and project information are current. These updates will be made no less than semi-annually and will be submitted to the Department of Finance and posted on the public website.
These two PDRP projects will receive a close-out review conducted by DWR at the time the projects are completed and/or grant funding is exhausted. The Program Manager will determine if the projects are completed and consistent with federal and State guidelines. DWR will comply with all current laws and regulations applicable to the project and submit documents summarizing total project costs and all additional funding sources.
The Program Manager will conduct a final review of each PDRP project to insure each contributes to the success of the seismic repairs to Perris Dam. DWR will conduct a final inspection of the Perris Dam foundation to insure the project’s goals minimizing seismic risk to the dam and providing increased public safety for those using Lake Perris and for the communities downstream of the lake. DWR will also assess and report the projects’ success in restoring the dam’s ability to impound water up to the maximum pool elevation level to permit the lake to return to full operation and to make maximum use of the recreational facilities that include boating, swimming, camping, picnicking, and stocked sport fishing.
The Program Manager will also conduct a final review of the Perris Dam Remediation Environmental & Right of Way Project to ensure that the purchased land along with the property restoration has enhanced the PDRP. The Program Manager will also review the recreation, fish and wildlife enhancement goals and assess if they enhance the recreational experience for the many visitors to the lake. The Program Manager will also assess the project’s success in mitigating any construction project impacts by implementing best management practices, providing replacement habitat of threatened or endangered species, and being mindful of California’s green house gas emission reduction goals.
DWR will provide the final detailed project cost expenditures and will ensure that the RFWE component (32.2%) is assessed correctly against the Proposition 84 Bond funding. DWR will work with the Department of Finance to ensure accountability and that the PDRP projects are posted to the Bond Accountability website so the public is provided accessible information on how proceeds of State general obligation bonds are utilized.
Projects within this Program: