Fresno Irrigation District's three-year maintenance and facility upgrade plan
Date
2010-03
Authors
Stretch, Bill, author
Mowry, David, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The Fresno Irrigation District (District) is in its third and final year of an ambitious Three-Year Maintenance and Facility Upgrade Plan (Three-Year MFUP). The improvement costs are estimated at $18.5 million, with $10.3 million coming from bonds and $8.2 million coming from outside contributions. These outside contributions include federal and state grants and in-kind District labor. In order to minimize immediate fiscal impacts to landowners, the District decided to bond the initial capital funds and to repay them over time. The Three-Year MFUP is structured in such a way that it "catches-up" on major infrastructure deficiencies and needs within the District, focusing on deferred maintenance projects and capital improvements. The capital improvements included retrofitting existing weir structures with long crested weirs and automated gates; SCADA and telemetry improvements; improved measurement at lateral headings and selected grower turnouts; regulation and recharge basins; replacement of leaking pipelines; lining problematic portions of open canals; automated trash racks; and improving rights-of-way along open canals. The projects are being constructed by contractors as well as the District's construction forces. Due to the specialized nature of the majority of the capital improvements the District has been able to minimize costs and construct a greater number of projects by utilizing its construction forces.
Description
Presented at Upgrading technology and infrastructure in a finance-challenged economy: a USCID water management conference held on March 23-26, 2010 in Sacramento, California.