Central Valley gets lion’s share of water grants

WASHINGTON, D.C.
July 31, 2009 12:03am

The Central Valley is getting more than $45 million this year from two pots of taxpayer dollars to improve water supplies, water use and water conservation.

Some comes as stimulus funds. Other money comes as grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) that must have some level of local contribution that varies with the project. In addition, the AWEP grants have to be reported as income by the recipients.

Here’s how it breaks down:

In all, 63 water projects in 21 states were approved by the USDA for $58 million in AWEP grants. Of those, 15 are in California, representing about $30 million, mostly in the Central Valley.

The Valley’s drought conditions were a major factor in flowing the money to the region, says Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White.

Here are the Central Valley AWEP projects approved. Funding is listed for 2009 and then, in parentheses, the total requested over the life of the projects:

• Tulare Irrigation District, $500,000; ($4 million), to enhance water supply by implementing water quality and quantity measures. More efficiency irrigation systems, from high to low pressure systems.

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• Western United Dairymen, $5.8 million; ($17.3 million), for improving wastewater utilization systems. Reducing potential surface water runoff on 550,000 acres over a three-year period.

• Westlands Water District, $2 million; ($10 million), to increase seasonal application efficiency, increase distribution uniformity, increase crop yields, decrease deep percolation, decrease the effects of soil salinity.

• Yolo County Resource Conservation District, $1 million; ($5 million), to increase irrigation efficiency, decrease irrigation runoff, sediment delivery, and improve ground water quality for approximately 40,000 acres

• California Association of Resource Conservation Districts’ Processing Tomato Irrigation Efficiency Program, $120,187; ($600,435), for improving irrigation efficiency for 30 producers on approximately 12,000 acres in a five-year period

• Kings River Conservation District, $1.5 million; ($14 million), to improve irrigation system efficiency, micro-irrigation, tail water recovery system for 650 growers on 27,000 acres

• Northern San Joaquin River Water Quality Partnership, $2 million; ($10 million), to reduce sedimentation in waterways, pesticide and nutrient loading, pathogen inputs, and conserve water. Approximately 550,000 acres to requiring treatment, expect 250 producers to enroll in project.

The AWEP money can be used for such projects as installation of sediment basins and irrigation tailwater recirculation systems, planting native shrub hedgerows for integrated pest management, and creating features such as riparian buffers for erosion control.

But wait! There’s more! And this money comes with few, if any, known strings. The awards, according to U.S. Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno, are:

• Central California Irrigation District, Los Banos: $19,000. Funding will be used for a well enhancement project within the water district. The project will clean, develop, and install a pump and motor on an existing well. The well will then be able to move water within the district as well as to pump water to neighboring districts. The well enhancement project will increase the efficiency and yield of the well to make more water available for irrigation.

• Del Puerto Water District, Patterson: $4,260,000. Funding will be used for 35 projects within the water district. The projects include about 2.1 miles of temporary pipeline, temporary lifts pumps, well enhancement and rehabilitation projects, and the installation of 25 new wells. The pipelines and lift pumps will be used to move water within the district as well as to pump water into the Delta Mendota Canal. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for irrigation.

• Firebaugh Canal Water District, Mendota: $475,000. Funding will be used for a water system improvement project within the water district. The project includes approximately one mile of temporary pipeline, temporary lift pumps, flow meters, and water valves. The pipeline and lift pumps will be used to move water within the district as well as to pump water into the Delta-Mendota Canal. The water system improvement project will address the immediate need of additional water within the district’s service area as well as the Delta-Mendota Canal service area and will increase the amount of water available for irrigation.

• Grassland Water District, Los Banos: $2,098,500. Funding will be used for two projects within the water district. The projects include enhancement and rehabilitation of existing wells and the installation of new wells. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation and for wildlife habitat. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for irrigation and wildlife habitat

• Pacheco Water District, Fresno: $755,500. Funding will be used for two projects within the water district. The projects include the enhancement and rehabilitation of seven existing wells. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation within the district’s service area. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for irrigation.

• Panoche Water District, Firebaugh: $2,600,000. Funding will be used for six projects within the water district. The projects include about 2 miles of temporary pipeline, temporary booster pumps, well enhancement and rehabilitation projects, and the installation of five new wells. The pipelines and lift pumps will be used to move water within the district. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation. The additional wells will increase the groundwater availability of water for irrigation throughout the district’s service area.

• San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Los Banos: $2,264,000. Funding will be used for a groundwater monitoring project throughout the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority service area in coordination with the U.S. Geological Survey. Groundwater wells will be used to document changes in aquifer levels and groundwater quality. Private contractors will be used to install 16 new wells that will be included in the monitoring program. Monitoring will also be conducted for possible land subsidence. The monitoring effort will protect the aquifer from overdraft and alert district member agencies of possible problems associated with groundwater extraction.

• San Luis Water District, Los Banos: $1,450,000. Funding will be used for five projects within the water district. The projects include a well enhancement and rehabilitation project and the installation of four new wells. The well enhancement and rehabilitation project will increase the efficiency and yield of one existing well to make more water available for irrigation. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for irrigation.

• West Stanislaus Irrigation District, Westley: $2,515,000. Funding will be used for 13 projects within the water district. The projects include about 1 mile of temporary pipeline, valves, flow meters, required fittings; well enhancement and rehabilitation on three projects, and the installation of nine new wells. The pipelines will be used to move water within the district as well as to pump water into the Delta-Mendota Canal. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for irrigation.

• Westlands Water District, Fresno: $7,500,000. Funding will be used for two projects within the water district. The projects include enhancement and rehabilitation of five wells and the installation of 15 new wells. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for irrigation.

• Byron Bethany Irrigation District, Byron: $525,000. Funding will be used for two projects within the water district. The projects include about 1,000 feet of temporary pipeline, temporary lifts pumps, and the installation of a new irrigation well. The pipeline and lift pumps will be used to move water within the district as well as to pump water into the Delta-Mendota Canal. The additional well will increase the availability of water for irrigation.

• Fresno Slough Water District, Tranquillity: $305,000. Funding will be used for the installation of a new irrigation well for the district. The well will increase the availability and reliability of irrigation water for the district.

• Gray Lodge and Pixley Wildlife Refuges, Gridley, and Delano: $3,164,000. Funding will be used for projects within both refuges. The projects include the installation of up to five new wells. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for better wildlife and wetlands habitat.

• James Irrigation District, San Joaquin: $1,604,000. Funding will be used for the installation of four new irrigation wells for the district. The wells will increase the availability and reliability of irrigation water for the district.

• Mercy Springs Water District, Firebaugh: $315,000. Funding will be used for the installation of a new irrigation well for the district. The well will increase the availability and reliability of irrigation water for the district.

• Tranquillity Irrigation District, Tranquillity: $612,000. Funding will be used for the installation of a new irrigation well for the district. The well will increase the availability and reliability of irrigation water for the district and for a neighboring district.

• Tulare Water District, Tulare: $925,000. Funding will be used for two projects within the water district. The projects include enhancement of 2 and rehabilitation of 26 existing wells. The well enhancement and rehabilitation projects will increase the efficiency and yield of the wells to make more water available for irrigation.

• Volta Wildlife Area, Los Banos: $1,570,000. Funding will be used for to develop up to two new wells in the wildlife area. The additional wells will increase the availability of water for better wildlife and wetlands habitat and reduce the overall water demands on the Central Valley Project.

• Stockton East Water District's Farmington Groundwater Recharge Program: $835,000. The goal of the program is to recharge the declining level of groundwater in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin and protect the area’s supply from saline water intrusion through field-flooding techniques and surface water delivery in-lieu of groundwater pumping.