FRESNO COUNTY, CA -- The latest Fresno Irrigation District (FID) groundwater recharge basin has been completed and was in use this past summer in time to serve its intended purpose in benefiting thirsty surrounding lands.
A ribbon cutting event took place in August to mark completion of the 30-acre Savory Groundwater Recharge Basin. The 30-acre plot is strategically located next to the Fresno Irrigation District's Oleander Canal, which sends water to users but can now move excess floodwater to recharge the new underground aquifer.
Taking part in the August 19 Savory Basin dedication were (from left) Fresno Irrigation District General Manager Bill Stretch,
North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Executive Director and Project Chair Kassy Chauhan (an FID staff member),
NKGSA Board Chairman and FID Director Jerry Prieto, Department of Water Resources Senior Geologist Jorge Baca, and
Fresno County District 4 Supervisor Buddy Mendes (NKGSA alternate director).
Savory Basin is the first project constructed using California Proposition 68’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Implementation Project grant funding. The grant was awarded by the California Department of Water Resources in April 2021.
The Savory Basin adds an opportunity to replenish the groundwater aquifer by an additional 900 acre-feet of water on an annual average basis. Groundwater recharge basins are strategically placed within FID’s boundary to achieve the maximum recharge potential and other possible benefits. In an area where, according to World Climate data, the average rainfall is 12.83 inches per year, it is critical to capture every drop to put it to good use.
The criteria and consideration for determining the optimum location for a basin includes:
- Connection to major distribution infrastructure
- Proximity to disadvantaged communities which could benefit from water level and water quality improvements
- Areas where groundwater level declines exist
- Soil conditions and associated recharge potential to optimize percolation
- Operational flexibility and canal regulation
In conditions when there is excess surface water available, the water is routed to the recharge basins using over 670 miles of canals and pipelines. This allows the water to be stored in the groundwater basin where it percolates at a rate of approximately 0.5 feet per day, on average, and eventually filters through the soil layers prior to reaching the underground aquifer. Replenishing the aquifer mitigates the amount of pumping occurring in the dry years to prevent chronic lowering of groundwater supplies.
Despite the recent prevalence in the news, the concept of groundwater recharge is not new. Fresno Irrigation District has been committed to groundwater recharge efforts for over 50 years and has over 900 acres of recharge basins, with plans to add an additional 420 acres in the near future.
“Savory Basin is the latest groundwater recharge project to be completed and will further District efforts to mitigate for groundwater pumping occurring within its boundaries,” stated Adam Claes, FID’s Assistant General Manager of Operations. “We continue to increase the District’s capacity to capture surface water in wet years and store it underground to develop a reliable water supply, even during dry years.”
The multi-benefit project received support from residents in a nearby disadvantaged community, the Shady Lakes Manufactured Housing Community, for its capacity to improve groundwater levels and increase water supply reliability. The basin also benefits other groundwater users, including agriculture growers and nearby domestic well owners.
“This groundwater recharge project moves the District closer to achieving sustainability by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act’s (SGMA) 2040 sustainability deadline,” Claes said. “It increases water supply reliability for growers as well as community residents who rely on wells for potable water.”
That’s especially important in critically dry years such as 2022. FID projects such as Savory Basin are based on the premise that 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.
Some $1.2 million in grant funding was used to complete the basin. Since the implementation of Proposition 68, Fresno Irrigation District 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. The District now has 890 acres of recharge basins.
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.