On August 1st, Alta Irrigation District (Alta or District) General Manager Chad Wegley, in collaboration with Bill Stretch, Fresno Irrigation District and Phil Desatoff, Consolidated Irrigation District, led a tour of a local groundwater recharge basin for USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and Congressman Jim Costa.
During the tour, they emphasized the importance of investing in groundwater recharge basins to enhance water security and prepare for future droughts, providing a firsthand look at the local recharge efforts in action.
Chad was interviewed by KSEE24/CBS47 and ABC30, who covered the tour and highlighted the $3 million awarded by Congressman Costa’s Community Project Funding Requests for the Upper Kings River Community Water and Climate Resiliency Project. This project is a collaborative groundwater recharge-focused effort between Alta, Fresno, and Consolidated irrigation districts.
Using its $1 million share of the funds, Alta is working on a new 41-acre groundwater recharge project, the Traver North Groundwater Recharge Basin. Alta purchased the property for the basin in the spring, Alta’s first property acquisition since 2013, and the largest in 50 years. Located on the junction of Avenue 376 and Road 44, this new project will be north of an existing 17-acre basin, with construction slated to begin in summer 2025.
“It was great to bring the federal representatives to the area and show them how this funding leads to the execution of projects that bring direct local benefits,” stated Chad Wegley, Alta Irrigation District General Manager. “Our landowners are already financially invested through assessments, so when we secure funding like this, we make landowner dollars go further and get projects done more quickly.”
By investing in groundwater recharge basins, Alta ID can capture excess surface water during wet years to improve the groundwater table and increase the available supply for growers. This stored water will help offset groundwater pumping by recharging the aquifer, creating a buffer during dry years when surface water is scarce. Additionally, these efforts contribute to Alta ID’s groundwater sustainability efforts in compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
For the full KSEE24/CBS47 and ABC30 articles, click the buttons below: