Matching Investments Signal Growing Water Utility Collaboration in the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed
Water utilities of very different sizes are beginning to co-invest side by side in the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed, coordinating their investments to accomplish together more than any one agency could do alone.
On Friday, January 23, Amador Water Agency announced a contribution to the Upper Mokelumne I Forest Resilience Bond, which activated a dollar-for-dollar match from EBMUD, effectively doubling it.
This contribution builds upon EBMUD’s earlier commitment, which they paired with an open offer to match additional investments from fellow Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority (UMRWA) member agencies on a one-to-one basis. Amador Water is the first agency to take up that opportunity so far, signaling momentum within the coalition. In a landscape where restoration needs far exceed any single agency’s capacity, this model demonstrates how multiple parties can work together to scale work on the ground beyond what any of them could do alone.
The news was shared last week during a regular meeting of UMRWA’s Governing Board, as leaders discussed the Forest Projects Plan Phase I (FPP-1), the current phase of a long-running forest restoration effort across the watershed that is supported by the Upper Mokelumne I FRB.
The matching opportunity remains open to other UMWRA member agencies through the end of June, with contributions from one or multiple agencies eligible to trigger additional funds from EBMUD.