NEWS RELEASE
Bill Stretch, General Manager
(559) 233-7161
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2022
Proposition 68 – Sustainable Groundwater Management Implementation Grant Partially Fund Basin Construction
The Fresno Irrigation District (FID) has completed construction of the Savory Groundwater Recharge Basin (“Savory Basin”) becoming the first project constructed using Proposition 68 Sustainable Groundwater Recharge Implementation Project grant funding, awarded by the California Department of Water Resources in April 2021. The 30-acre Savory Basin, located in the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, was constructed in record time, and adds an opportunity to replenish the groundwater aquifer by an additional 900 acre-feet of water annually, on average.
“Savory Basin is the latest groundwater recharge project to be completed and will further the District’s efforts to mitigate for groundwater pumping occurring within its boundaries. We continue to increase the District’s capacity to capture surface water in wet years and store underground to develop a reliable water supply even during dry years,” stated Bill Stretch, FID’s general manager.
To celebrate the completion of the Savory Basin Groundwater Recharge Project, you are invited to attend a ribbon cutting event hosted by FID as noted below:
Date: August 19, 2022 Time: 11:00 a.m.
CLICK HERE to watch a short video highlighting the construction of the Savory Groundwater Recharge Basin.
Location: NW Corner of Chestnut and Lincoln Avenues (Enter Through Gate on Chestnut Avenue)
The multi-benefit project received support from residents in the nearby Disadvantaged Community (DAC) Shady Lakes Manufactured Housing Community for its capacity to improve groundwater levels and increase water supply reliability. The project also benefits other groundwater users including FID growers and nearby domestic well owners. The groundwater recharge project moves the District and the North Kings GSA closer to achieving sustainability by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act’s (SGMA) 2040 sustainability deadline while increasing water supply reliability for growers as well as community residents reliant on wells for potable water. This is especially important in critically dry years such as 2022. Developing infrastructure now helps prepare for future wet years when there is extra rain and snowmelt runoff to capture and percolate into the aquifer to prepare for dry years with increased reliance on groundwater use.
The DWR SGMA Implementation Grant is funded by Proposition 68 and $1.2M in grant funding was used to complete the construction of the Savory Groundwater Recharge Basin. Since the implementation of SGMA, FID has completed construction of 180 acres of groundwater recharge basins with plans to add up to an additional 420 acres of groundwater recharge basin sites.
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Since 1920, the Fresno Irrigation District has proudly delivered water to agricultural and urban communities within Fresno County. Today, the District encompasses over 250,000 acres of prime farmland and municipal areas, including the cities of Fresno and Clovis. As the premier irrigation district in the Central Valley, the District is extensively involved in a host of local, state, and federal water issues.