$16.8M Ramona-Barona water pipe project begins, may cause road delays

Motorists may experience delays on Wildcat Canyon and San Vicente roads starting this month and continuing through December 2027 as the $16.8 million Ramona-Barona pipeline project gets underway.

Motorists may experience delays on Wildcat Canyon and San Vicente roads starting this month and continuing through December 2027 as the $16.8 million Ramona-Barona pipeline project gets underway.

The water and recycled water pipeline project is a joint effort between the Ramona Municipal Water District and the Barona Band of Mission Indians.

The two organizations have been collaborating to design and build a pipeline to provide water and recycled water to the tribal reservation.

Water District General Manager Erica Wolski said roads on Wildcat Canyon and San Vicente will have lane closures intermittently during the project.

Signs will be placed at the corner of the intersection and on reservation land temporarily, she said.

Updates on the road impacts will be available online at Baronapipeline.org.

“The actual impact dates to Wildcat Canyon and San Vicente roads are not yet known but information about the road impacts will be available on the website as the project progresses,” Wolski said.

The Ramona-Barona water pipelines project is designed to improve long-term water reliability for the Barona Band by bringing in new sources of drinking water and recycled water, according to the Barona website.

The project will deliver treated drinking water from the Ramona Municipal Water District to the Barona Reservation through a new pipeline connection along San Vicente Road.

To address the steep terrain along the route, a new booster pump station will be built allowing water to be conveyed safely and efficiently across the mountain, according to the Barona website.

“Once completed, this system will provide the Barona community with a dependable supply of clean drinking water for years to come,” the website said.

Barona is pursuing the improvements to enhance water reliability, reduce dependence on groundwater and support the long-term sustainability of the Barona community.

Currently, the tribe relies primarily on unreliable groundwater to supply water to homes, community facilities and tribal operations, officials said.

The groundwater has encountered water quality issues, limited supply and faced prolonged drought conditions.

Although recycled water is currently used for some irrigation needs, existing facilities do not produce enough supply to meet demand, according to the tribe.

The Barona tribe completed the design of the project in late 2025.

The project was advertised for construction in January, and six construction bids were received in February.

The lowest bid was nearly $16.8 million by SC Valley and Barona hired the contractor on April 16 this year.

The entire project will be funded by the tribe, Wolski said.

The tribe received grant funds from the U.S.

Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources.

Valley Construction Management is the construction manager on the project and their contact information is available on the Baronapipeline.org website for questions or concerns about the project.

Construction of the pipelines will start on the tribal reservations but the timeline for working on the roads has not been determined yet, Wolski said.

The following is a summary of expected traffic interruptions.

North of the Reservation boundary – Traffic will remain open with traffic controls in place and intermittent delays may occur.

Wildcat Canyon Road to San Vicente Creek Bridge – Single-lane traffic during pipeline construction and traffic control will be provided.

Near the Reservation boundary – Temporary single-lane traffic on Wildcat Canyon Road.

Within the Barona Reservation – Most of the pipeline work will occur on tribal land.

There will be minimal impacts to Wildcat Canyon Road but intermittent delays on tribal roads.