NEWS RELEASE
Bill Stretch, General Manager
(559) 233-7161
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2024
Integrated Regional Water Management Funds and USDA NRCS Groundwater Recharge Program Pilot Funds Combined with FID Funds for Basin Construction
The Fresno Irrigation District (FID) has completed construction of the Kenneson & Sanchez Groundwater Recharge Basins (“Kenneson & Sanchez Basins”) adding to a growing list of completed groundwater recharge basins for FID. The 47-acre Kenneson & Sanchez Basins site, 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 960 acre-feet of water annually, on average.
“The Kenneson & Sanchez Basins are the latest groundwater recharge projects to be completed and will further FID’s efforts to mitigate for groundwater pumping occurring within its boundaries. We continue to increase the FID’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 Kenneson & Sanchez Basins Groundwater Recharge Project, you are invited to attend a ribbon cutting and naming ceremony hosted by FID as noted below:
Date: August 21, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Corner of Modoc and Clinton Avenues, Kerman, CA, near Sun Empire School
(Please enter off of Siskiyou Avenue following signage.)
CLICK HERE to watch a short video highlighting
the construction of the Kenneson and Sanchez
Groundwater Recharge Basins.
The multi-benefit project was supported by Kerman Unified School District’s Sun Empire School as well as neighboring landowners and domestic well owners for its capacity to improve groundwater levels and increase water supply reliability. The groundwater recharge project helps FID and the North Kings GSA towards achieving sustainability by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act’s (SGMA) 2040 sustainability deadline while increasing water supply reliability for growers and community residents reliant on wells for potable water. This is especially important in critically dry years. 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.
Funding for the project totaled approximately $6 million which was a combination of funds from the Department of Water Resources (DWR’s) Integrated Regional Water Management Program funding ($1.6M), the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) Groundwater Recharge Pilot program ($873,000) and FID Proposition 218 funds ($4M). Land for the project was purchased in 2022 from the Kenneson and Sanchez families who are being honored for their part by officially naming the basin after their families. Since the implementation of SGMA, FID has completed construction of 227 acres of groundwater recharge basins with plans to add up to an additional 350 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.
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