Millions for Water Conservation

California’s water conservation and storage efforts will be boosted by $27 million in federal grants.

The funds include more than $15 million for projects in the San Joaquin Valley, where irrigation shortages have forced farmers to layoff workers and leave hundreds of thousands of acres unplanted.

The grant funding will also support a number of projects designed by irrigation districts to help California meet critical water needs, lower dependence on federal water supplies and store water underground. Water managers in the Sacramento area will also get $5 million to install water meters.

The state is currently struggling through the third year of a drought.