By ELIZABETH JONASSON
Contributing Writer
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded Westlands Water District, a $1 million grant as part of DWR’s Flood Diversion Recharge Initiative.
This grant will assist the State’s efforts to reduce flooding by increasing flood flow diversion volumes to recharge areas and expand local capacity to divert future flood waters. These efforts in turn reduce downstream flood impacts and facilitate groundwater recharge.
“The district is committed to building a resilient water future for the San Joaquin Valley and our family farms,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “This grant will greatly assist us in clearing the way for flood diversion and support our ongoing groundwater recharge efforts as we navigate through climate-driven weather extremes and continued decline in reliable surface water supplies and work towards groundwater sustainability.”
The grant will support the removal of 450 acres of orchards from land recently acquired by the district. Located in an area of the district identified as subsidence-prone, adjacent to the San Luis Canal, the cleared land will reduce demand for groundwater near critical infrastructure, improve the availability of surface water and sustainable groundwater allocation(s), provide the district with increased recharge capabilities, and provide a site to temporarily retain diverted floodwater when needed. The subject land is part of 5,340 acres acquired since 2022, including the removal of 1,930 acres of orchards and vines, at a total investment of over $58 million.
Reducing groundwater demand, increasing surface water, and sustainable groundwater allocation(s) to other productive farmland, land repurposing, and groundwater recharge are all important measures identified in the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Diverting flood flows for groundwater recharge also protects downstream communities and infrastructure.
