Extreme Heat Resiliency
BREZE — Building Resilient and Empowering Zones for Everyone
A 2025 national study found that 86% of Americans say increased temperatures, leading to heat waves and extreme heat, have made them more concerned about climate change. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, Waterkeeper launched a new program to help Inland Empire residents stay safe amid the growing number of extreme heat events.
Building Resilient and Empowering Zones for Everyone (BREZE) is a community asset-mapping project that will identify existing and potential outdoor spaces that can serve as natural cooling areas in the Inland Empire.
Waterkeeper’s goal is to provide equitable and easy access to community members seeking shelter, especially those facing economic and systemic barriers to other cooling methods, such as air conditioning and swimming pools.
BREZE was made possible through funding from the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, managed by the California Governor’s Office.
PHOTO: Community members recreating in Mill Creek
Outreach and Community Workshops
To better understand the community’s experiences and desired improvements to outdoor spaces, IE Waterkeeper is partnering with the equity-based nonprofit Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice to host 10 workshops across 10 Inland Empire cities.
These interactive workshops will empower Inland Empire residents to engage in environmental justice, understand local water issues, discover cooling spaces, and take action to protect their environment.
Ready to share your voice now? Click here to take a short survey to share your experience and help IE Waterkeeper defend our community against extreme heat.
Jurupa Valley Workshop
March 18, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
3840 Sunnyhill Dr, Jurupa Valley, CA 92509
Register Here
More workshop dates to be announced
Mapping the Inland Empire
ArcGIS Interactive Map
IE Waterkeeper has partnered with Stantec to produce a map of natural cooling sites using ArcGIS. The map will convert collected data on cooling sites, such as swimming areas along the Santa Ana River, into a visual tool that the public can easily access. It will also highlight underdeveloped parks that could be improved to provide heat relief, along with local parks with existing amenities for cooling off.
Subscribe to our email newsletter to be notified when the map is ready for use!
Site Inspections
To gather data for our GIS, we are conducting site inspections throughout the Inland Empire of existing outdoor spaces that could be classified as cooling sites, including parks, waterways, and recreation areas.
A custom survey will be used to collect data and grade each site based on its ability to serve as a cooling site during extreme heat events. The survey focuses on important cooling considerations such as shade, pools, and splash pad availability, restroom availability, and general accessibility to each park.
IE Waterkeeper staff and interns will visit various parks and waterways, complete the survey, and then determine a final score that evaluates the site’s effectiveness as a cooling site. Sites with higher scores will be prioritized on our map, while sites with lower scores will be evaluated to identify what is missing to better suit the community.
Water Quality Monitoring
As we promote accessing waterways in the Inland Empire, it is important to gather information on water quality for recreational use so that the public and responsible agencies know whether these areas are safe to swim and enjoy. IE Waterkeeper staff is visiting various waterways and conducting water quality monitoring to ensure the safety of our community members.
Water quality monitors collect samples and follow the EPA-approved IDEXX method. Our tests prioritize E. Coli, as it remains the best sole indicator for bacteria in fresh water.
To supplement this data, IE Waterkeeper staff conduct human-use surveys, EPA Sanitary Surveys, and waterway site inspections. The purpose of these surveys is to collect and publish data on outdoor areas that are readily accessible and searchable by community members.