Over the last 20 years, Fresno Irrigation District (FID) has added 395 acres of groundwater recharge and regulation basins at 11 sites within FID’s district boundaries, including the Wagner Basin Project, and more recently the Savory Pond Project and the three Central Basin Project sites. Groundwater banking facility projects are partially funded with funding through partnerships and grants, allowing FID to continue its efforts with managing and protecting groundwater towards SGMA goals with reduced budgetary impact.

FID's Current Efforts

Since 2020, FID has added 150 acres of additional recharge basins, including the Savory Pond Basin; the three Central basins at Central & Hughes, East & Malaga, and Orange & Lincoln; and increasing the capacity of the Wagner Basin through excavation that deepens the basin. Many of these recharge projects have multiple benefits, including improving groundwater levels and water quality for FID growers and domestic well owners downstream of the basins. These new recharge basins are expected to be capable of recharge totaling about 4,900 acre-feet of water per year.

Central & Hughes

East & Malaga

Orange & Lincoln

Wagner Basin

Savory Basin

Collaborative Efforts

FID has collaborated with the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD) and Cities of Fresno and Clovis for the cooperative development and implementation of a comprehensive surface and groundwater management effort. The program involves the use of flood control basins for recharge during the summer when they are not needed to control urban storm runoff.

FID Basins

35 total | 890 Acres

FMFCD Basins

100 total | 1,365 Acres

City Basins

4 total | 366 Acres

FID is a long-time believer in groundwater banking and recharge and has built about 870 acres of groundwater recharge facilities, which have recharged over 500,000 acre-feet of water into the aquifer since 2005, for agricultural and urban use alike.

A History of Recharge Within FID

Commitment to acquire another 420 acres by 2023.

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