For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233

Westlands Water District awarded $7.6 Million Grant by the California Department of Water Resources

Grant funds will help create drought resilience, increase investment in recharge projects, and drive regional groundwater sustainability

Fresno, California – May 2nd the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded Westlands Water District, which serves as the Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) for the Westside Subbasin, a $7.6 million grant as part of the Department’s Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Proposition 68 Implementation Grant Program. This grant provides critical investment in the District’s efforts to ensure a sustainable groundwater basin.

“As we enter the third year of historic drought, Westlands remains committed to utilizing the most proactive, innovative, and scientifically-sound strategies in groundwater management,” said Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands. “This grant funding from DWR will be instrumental to the District’s implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and to achieving groundwater sustainability. We are grateful for the support and investment in these vital projects.”

The grant funding will further three key efforts within the Subbasin: the Storage Treatment Aquifer Recharge (STAR) Program, Phase 1; the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) 5-year Update; and the Westside Subbasin Geophysical Investigation for Recharge Potential.

The STAR Program will establish a network of treatment and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) facilities in the Westside Subbasin. These facilities will treat water from the unconfined upper aquifer and provide temporary storage of surplus supplies. Based on current design, each treatment facility could treat up to 10,000 acre-feet a year and each ASR well could inject up to 1,200 gallons per minute to be stored for later use. Phase 1 of the STAR Program includes planning and identification of locations for the treatment facilities.

The funding will also support the District’s 5-year review and update of the Westside Subbasin GSP. This update enables the District to assess the implementation of the GSP and incorporate the latest information on groundwater conditions, technology, and science. The 2025 update will reflect progress towards achieving the Westside Subbasin 2040 sustainability goals, key groundwater project, and SGMA regulations compliance.

Lastly, the grant provided by DWR will also provide funding for the Westside Subbasin Geophysical Investigation for Recharge Potential. This Investigation consists of conducting geotechnical examinations on lands within the Westside Subbasin to identify groundwater recharge potential. The data collected will help interested parties, such as growers and/or the District, determine if a proposed site is feasible for groundwater recharge.

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About Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233

Westlands Water District Announces 2022 Scholarship Application Period

Fresno, California – Westlands Water District is pleased to announce the sixteenth year of the District’s annual scholarship for high school seniors pursuing higher education. In keen support of our community’s youth, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors approved ten $1,000 scholarships high school seniors can use towards expenses at accredited post-secondary institutions. The District is proud to recognize and reward exceptional academic achievement and leadership.

“The communities on the west side of the Valley help make the region a vibrant, productive, and incredible place,” commented Tom Birmingham, Westlands’ general manager. “Westlands is proud to offer scholarships for graduating seniors seeking to continue their education, with the hope that they will continue to contribute to their communities and to the region.”

High school seniors from the following westside high schools are eligible to apply for the District’s scholarship: Avenal, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Hanford Joint Union High Schools, Lemoore, Mendota, Riverdale, and Tranquillity. Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 to be used for accredited post-secondary education expenses. Applicants will be judged on their academic performance, school activities, essay, and community leadership.

For an application and list of instructions, please contact the public affairs office at (559) 241-6233 or download the application from the District’s website.

Applications and all supporting documents must be received by the District by 11:59 pm on May 22, 2022, and may be submitted via email to pubaffairs@wwd.ca.gov, by mail to Westlands Public Affairs, P.O. Box 6056, Fresno, CA 93703, or in person at 3130 N. Fresno Street, Fresno; between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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About Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233

New Report Finds Over 35,000 Local Jobs Rely on Westlands Water District Agricultural Production

Water Restrictions Have Wide Reaching, Negative Impacts on
Farms, Local Communities, and the Nation

Fresno, California – A new analysis highlights the significant, positive economic impact that agricultural production within the Westlands Water District has on the State of California and the country as a whole. The Economic Impact of Westlands Water District (Study), conducted by Michael A. Shires, Ph.D., outlines the far-reaching consequences of inadequate and unreliable water supplies on economies and communities.

The Study analyzes the economic impacts of the agricultural activities occurring within Westlands Water District. The Study also investigates how challenges such as water supply restrictions, climate change, inflation, supply chain disruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic can seriously threaten the quantity and quality of food available to the people of this nation. Taken together, these challenges underscore the important role that California’s agricultural production plays in national security and why protecting America’s domestic food production is essential.

According to the Study, on an annual basis, agricultural production within Westlands Water District is responsible for generating over $4.7 billion in economic activity and supporting over 35,000 jobs across the regional economy. These jobs produce the wages, tax revenue, and consumer spending that drive economic activity throughout the state.

“The farms within Westlands Water District are significant suppliers of fresh produce and other agricultural products both to the nation and the world. Activities in Westlands directly and indirectly employ and support tens of thousands of households and creates billions of dollars of economic value,” said Dr. Shires. “While there are a range of complex, modern policy and economic crises that may influence the level of that production, there is no real domestic alternative for production of these critical agricultural products.”

The farms in Westlands and the associated share of the country’s food supply, are at risk. “While farms in Westlands continue to produce billions in economic activity, support communities in the San Joaquin Valley, and employ thousands of farmworkers and growers, we recognize that this production – and the livelihoods of those behind it – is highly dependent on water availability,” said Tom Birmingham, General Manager of the Westlands Water District.

When farmers do not have adequate water supplies, they are forced to make difficult decisions.  They fallow otherwise highly productive land, and, in some instances, abandon planted acres because they lack water to continue irrigating their fields. Those decisions have widespread impacts. The Study found a “striking” correlation between “poverty levels in [Fresno and Kings] counties…with the shortfalls in water deliveries from the [Central Valley Project] to the Westlands Water District.” Poverty rates in these two counties are directly related to the water supply available to farmers in the District – when the District receives little to no water, more people in those counties suffer from poverty, and when the District receives a higher water allocation, the counties’ economic stability improves.

Further, with no domestic alternative for the agricultural contributions of the region, the economic impacts and negative implications of an inadequate water supply extend well beyond the local community. “At a time where instability around the globe has had significant impacts on the entire continent’s access to core crops like wheat, corn, and sunflower oil – on top of rising inflation and fuel costs – protecting the Nation’s domestic agricultural production capacity is fundamental to the security of the United States,” said Tom Birmingham.

“The bottom line is that much of the food in your pantry, refrigerator, and on your dinner table continues to be available because farms in California continue to provide some 80 percent of the nation’s supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. If this domestic production is curtailed, it will make the nation dependent on foreign sources which are, in turn, much more subject to supply chain, transportation, and quality problems,” Dr. Shires said. “If water supplies continue to be uncertain and volatile, there will be irreparable harm to already disadvantaged communities in the region and the acreage available to continue growing this produce will be significantly constrained.”

To read the entire report, visit the District’s Website.

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About Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and Kings counties for more than six decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233

Westlands Water District Board of Directors Appoints Jeff Fortune to Fill Board Vacancy

Fresno, California – On Tuesday, March 15, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors appointed Jeff Fortune to fill the vacancy created when Director Todd Neves resigned last month. Mr. Fortune will serve through December 2022, when he will stand for election to fill the remainder of Director Neves’ term.

“Jeff Fortune has farmed in Westlands for more than four decades. The Board will benefit from his experience and perspective as the District navigates unprecedented drought, implementation of the sustainable groundwater management act, and many other challenges in the months and years ahead,” said Westlands’ Board President Ryan Ferguson.

Mr. Fortune, a third generation California farmer and the second generation Westlands farmer, is a “boots on the ground” farmer. Since his graduation from the University of California at Davis, he has worked alongside his father, and more recently, his two brothers, at their family farm, Fortune Farming Company. Fortune currently grows tomatoes, almonds, and pistachios on his family farm.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to serve,” Mr. Fortune said after being appointed, “Instead of sitting back and watching our farms, farmers, and communities struggle, I am taking this opportunity to offer my experience and ideas to help this District remain a place where family farms like mine can not only continue to operate, but can once again thrive.”

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About Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and Kings counties for more than six decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology. 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233

Westlands Water District Statement on Initial CVP Water Allocation

Fresno, California – Today the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced an initial allocation of 0% for Westlands Water District and other south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) irrigation contractors. This is the fourth time in the last decade the south-of-Delta irrigation contractors have received a 0% allocation. Despite significant precipitation in the fall and early winter, the 2021-22 water year is likely to be classified as dry.  January and February were exceptionally dry.  The District is disappointed with the allocation but is aware that hydrologic conditions, including low CVP reservoir storage conditions at the beginning of the water year and record low precipitation in January and February, and Reclamation’s obligation to meet Delta water quality and outflow standards imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board, prevent Reclamation from making water available under the District’s contract. 

Within Westlands, the continued drought conditions in 2021 resulted in over 200,000 acres fallowed, countless lost jobs, and thousands of acres of food unharvested. The circumstances in 2021 and those facing us in 2022 demonstrate the need to invest in infrastructure to better manage the State’s water resources, which includes increased capacity to capture water when its available for transport and use in times of drought. California needs new storage, both surface and groundwater, and improved conveyance facilities. The state must also establish effective water policies that enable adaptive management of the system to maximize the beneficial uses of water throughout the State. Despite the current lack of precipitation, the District is focusing on comprehensive approaches to ensure a sustainable water future. 

In spite of the current drought, the District continues to plan, pursue, support, and implement regional and local projects to ensure a sustainable water future for the families that live and work in and around the District. And, as always, the District will look to the coming months with the hope of improved precipitation and an increased allocation. 

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About Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and Kings counties for more than six decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.