RAINBOW LAKE

June 2024

RAINBOW LAKE WIFA and D.O.I. WATER SMART GRANT UPDATE 

​​

Just when you thought everything was fine with the Lake, we ran into a big glitch! WIFA actually awarded a grant to Pinetop-Lakeside for over $340,000, which required Rainbow Lake Conservation Company to come up with $114,000 for a 25% match. We accomplished this but the Town felt there would not be enough money to finish the critical part of the project. After the Town rejected the award, the Arizona legislature stripped funding from WIFA, essentially drying up the federal money available. 

The Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation has floated another opportunity for a grant for rural conservation of water, This is a WATER Smart grant that could provide enough funding to pipe most of the open ditch on the north side of White Mountain Blvd. west of Lake of the Woods. The Irrigation Company estimates that at least 30% of the water leaving Rainbow Lake is lost to seepage, leakage and water theft. We think the percentage is actually higher.

Part of the Town’s concern was whether the WIFA grant actually considered some of the costs of adhering to the federal procurement code. Their rejection of the WFA grant sensitized us to those issues. We made contact with Gordian, a company that specializes in organizing and strategizing the bid process for federal grants, has been certified as an administrator for grants by the State of Arizona, and has a stable of general contractors and suppliers who have already qualified for federal work. 

Working with Gordian, the irrigation Company, and a general contractor, we finalized a WATER Smart application for approximately $2 million dollars, expanding the scope of work dramatically to close additional areas of water loss north of White Mountain Blvd. Pinetop-Lakeside agreed to act as applicant.

This grant is going to require a match of $500,000 from private funds. This means we need to raise an additional $300,000 no later than January 2025 to qualify for the grant. RLCC is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, so donations are tax deductible. Being able to save thousands of acre-feet of water from leaving Rainbow Lake means residents and recreation seekers can enjoy the lake all year. The presence of a full lake adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to our home values, and an unforgettable mountain and forest experience.

PLEASE be generous! What better and more direct way to enjoy the benefits of charitable giving than to apply it in your own neighborhood!​

​

Dave Derickson 
Vice President, Rainbow Lake Conservation Company