Developing new water supplies in Fresno Irrigation District the Waldron Banking Facilities
Date
2009-06
Authors
Hopkins, Randy, author
Stretch, Bill, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Abstract
Fresno Irrigation District (FID) serves irrigation water to approximately 245,000 acres including the Cities of Fresno and Clovis, in California's Central San Joaquin Valley. As Clovis has developed they have looked for ways to diversify their water supply portfolio. Until recently, this mainly consisted of groundwater wells with some surface water supplies coming from FID. Clovis, in an effort to increase their dry year supplies, partnered with FID to develop the Waldron Banking Facilities. Through the agreement developed between Clovis and FID, Clovis provided half of the capital to develop the project in return for half of the project yield. Clovis also has the first right of refusal, on an annual basis, for any yield developed from the project. The Waldron Banking Facilities are comprised of three groundwater banking facilities located in the western portion of the District. In exchange for the banked supplies, FID then provides an equivalent amount of surface water to Clovis (in the eastern portion of FID). To develop a new water supply for the City and FID, during wet years and other times when surplus surface water supplies are available these supplies are routed to the groundwater recharge basins. In dry years, these banked supplies are then recovered from the aquifer, and delivered to FID growers. Two of the recharge basin sites were existing regulation basins, which were significantly expanded to add recharge capabilities. One of the sites is new, and placed at the bifurcation of one of FID's laterals. The recharge basin sites were strategically selected in order to provide an added benefit as regulation and storage basins that could be utilized during the irrigation season. The project was built over the course of three years, in phases. Now complete, the project includes approximately 250 acres of recharge basins, new measurement and control sites, seven recovery wells, and a network of monitoring wells. This paper will discuss the financial aspects of the project, project planning issues, design considerations, and how the twelve construction contracts were developed, managed and executed.
Description
Presented at Irrigation district sustainability - strategies to meet the challenges: USCID irrigation district specialty conference held on June 3-6, 2009 in Reno, Nevada.