For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233
Westlands Water District Awarded $25 Million through a Federal Grant to Fund Drought Preparedness Projects
Federal funding will support groundwater recharge and storage
Fresno, CA – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) awarded $81 million in grant funding through the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in support of the South-of-Delta Drought Plan. Westlands Water District (District) will be receiving $25 million to fund priority groundwater recharge and storage projects within the District. Awarded funds will be used to complete drought mitigation projects aimed at building a more reliable water supply for South-of-Delta communities, farms, and ecosystems reliant on Central Valley Project (CVP) water.
“We are grateful to the Bureau of Reclamation for recognizing the dire need for investment in drought relief infrastructure in our region,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District. “These funds will allow the District to expand our robust groundwater recharge operations and explore groundwater banking, providing a more reliable water supply to hundreds of family-owned farms and disadvantaged communities in our region during periods of drought.”
This funding comes as part of a multi-year pilot study for drought management led by Reclamation to develop a “drought pool” – where participating South-of-Delta water users contribute water to be stored for future use in dry years. These investments increase the long-term feasibility of the pilot program by providing storage outside of the San Luis Reservoir, thus reducing the impact of the drought pool on westside South-of-Delta water allocations.
The recharge infrastructure will also help Westlands’ water users adapt to the reduced surface water and groundwater supply reliability caused by increased regulations, export cutbacks, and climate change.
Febbo added,“Federal investment in our groundwater storage projects is critical to provide options for banking water outside of San Luis Reservoir, increasing the volume of water that can be available when it’s needed, and the flexibility with managing the resource amongst water users. The District is excited to move forward with these projects that will improve drought resilience and help build a sustainable water future for the San Joaquin Valley.”
Specifically, the funding will be dedicated to projects such as bermed recharge basins, aquifer storage and recovery wells, and accompanying infrastructure to convey water to these facilities. Projects will be prioritized near the Coalinga Canal and in the District’s subsidence-prone areas near the San Luis Canal to protect this critical infrastructure, building upon the District’s groundwater recharge efforts which last year put nearly 400,000 acre-feet of water back into the aquifer.
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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.