FID Hosts Department of Water Resources at Savory Recharge Basin

Fresno Irrigation District hosted the California Department of Water Resources for a tour of the Savory Groundwater Recharge Basin, part of DWR’s interest in visiting groundwater recharge projects supported through their grant funding. The tour was led by FID’s General Manager, Bill Stretch, and Assistant General Manager of Operations, Adam Claes.

The basin served as a demonstration of FID’s preparedness to capture excess water in future wet years, highlighting that the infrastructure is already in place and ready for use.

Savory Recharge Basin was funded in part by $1.2 million from DWR’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Implementation Grant Program – the first project ever constructed using this grant funding.

Completed in 2022, the Savory Recharge Basin replenishes the groundwater aquifer by recharging 900 acre-feet of water on an annual average. It also supports water supply reliability for residents in the nearby Shady Lakes Manufactured Housing Community, a Disadvantaged Community, and private well owners in the area.

FID extends a thank you to DWR attendees, including:

Executive Leadership

• Lead Deputy Director Cindy Messer

• Lead Deputy Director Tom Gibson

• Lead General Counsel Ann Carroll

  
  

Statewide Water Management, Division of Regional Assistance (DRA)

• Arthur Hinojosa, DRA Manager

• Matthew Bates, Assistant DRA Manager

• Jule Rizzardo, Financial Branch Manager

• Eli Munoz, DRA Administrative Support

  
  

Division of Regional Assistance - South Central Region Office

• Steve Doe, Office Manager

• Dane Mathis, Branch Manager

• Sammy Naventhan, Branch Manager

• Amanda Peisch-Derby, Senior Engineer

• Jorge Baca, Senior Engineer Geologist

View photos from the tour below.