Westlands Water District

Fresno, CA

Environmental Docs

Environmental documents are available during specific comment periods as described by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

Activities or Approvals by Westlands Water District Pursuant to ¶11 of the May 10, 2021 Governor’s Proclamation

Activities or Approvals that are implemented pursuant to ¶5 of the Governor’s Executive Order N-7-22, dated March 28, 2022.

Activities or Approvals that are implemented pursuant to ¶13 of the Governor’s  Executive Order  N-7-22, dated March 28, 2022

Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report

Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project – Notice of Preparation

Fifth Standard Filed NOD

Westlands Almond NOD

Aquamarine NOD

Scarlet NOD

Available for Commenting

The following documents are available for commenting.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Westlands Water District (District) intends to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Westside Subbasin Ephemeral Creeks Recharge Projects (Project) proposed within Westlands Water District Boundary located within Fresno County. The Draft MND is available for public review and comment.

PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT PERIOD: The document is available for review for a period of 30 days which extends from April 2, 2025 through May 2, 2025. Please provide any written comments (either by mail or electronically) no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 2, 2025. Please direct all comments to Bobby Phillips by email to bphillips@wwd.ca.gov, or by mail to P.O. Box 5199, Fresno, CA 93755, or on the district website.

The WWD Board of Directors will conduct a public hearing to receive oral comments at the regular Board meeting on May 20, 2025, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Board will consider adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration.

The document is available for public inspection at the District’s office located Copies of the document can be reviewed at the District office, located at 286 W. Cromwell Avenue, Fresno, CA 93711, or online at the District’s website. All written comments on the Draft MND must be submitted no later than the May 2, 2025 deadline.

No Longer Available for Commenting

The comment period of the following documents has passed.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, as the National Environmental Policy Act Federal lead agency, and Westlands Water District, as the California Environmental Quality Act State lead agency, have made the Mendota Pool Group (MPG) 20-Year Exchange Program Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) available to the public.

Please note that the comment period has passed.

The proposed water exchange program incorporates design constraints, management actions, monitoring, and reporting requirements as well as groundwater recharge components intended to replenish the local groundwater basin through use of existing recharge facilities. The program would allow MPG farmers to deliver groundwater of suitable quality to Mendota Pool in exchange for Central Valley Project water delivered via the San Luis Canal for use on approximately 42,316 acres of historically irrigated MPG lands in Westlands Water District.

The EIS/EIR analyzes the No Action and two action alternatives. Under the Proposed Action (Alternative 1), Reclamation would issue a series of exchange agreements over a period of 20 years. The MPG may pump a not-to-exceed total of 38,316 acre-feet of water per year (AFY), which includes up to 26,316 AFY for exchange (less 5 percent required to remain in the Mendota Pool) and the remainder for adjacent use on MPG owned farmlands in the Mendota Pool area. Over the 20-year period, pumping for exchange would be capped at 421,053 acre-feet (AF). Also, the Proposed Action includes a Warren Act contract with Reclamation to provide MPG with storage capacity in San Luis Reservoir and a new groundwater recharge component with up to 23,169 AF of recharge over the 20-year life of the Proposed Action. Alternative 2 includes all actions of the Proposed Action, but also develops an additional groundwater recharge facility that combined with the other recharge facilities would achieve over 43,000 AF of recharge over the 20-year period.

For more information, copies of the Final EIS/EIR are available to the public at: Westlands Water District, 3130 N. Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703 or online at USBR’s Website.

Not Accepting comments.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION BASED ON AN INITIAL STUDY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Westlands Water District solicits public comment on the proposed adoption of a mitigated negative declaration for the Agricultural Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program proposed within Westlands Water District Boundary located in Fresno and Kings counties.

The WWD Board of Directors will conduct a public hearing to receive oral comments at a special Board meeting on October 3, 2019, beginning at 3:00 p.m. The Board will consider adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration immediately following the hearing.

The analysis of the regulatory basis for this proposed action is available for public inspection at the District’s office located at the address below or online.

Written comments on this project must be submitted within 30 days of the publication date of this notice to RUSS FREEMAN, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER-RESOURCES, WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT, by mail to P.O. Box 6056 Fresno, CA 93703, or by courier to the District Office at 3130 N Fresno St, Fresno, CA 93703.