News Release Archive

Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Assessment for Madera Irrigation District Water Conservation, Telemetry Upgrade & Improvement Project

Media Contact: Margaret Gidding, 916-978-5100, mgidding@usbr.gov

For Release: March 07, 2014

MADERA, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released for public review and comment the draft Environmental Assessment for the Madera Irrigation District’s Water Conservation, Telemetry Upgrade & Improvement Project.

Reclamation will provide grant funding for the Project through the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program. The Water and Energy Efficiency grant will retrofit or replace 17 manual check structures and control gates within the District’s extensive canal system with automated flume gates and flow meters.

The District also proposes to integrate remote sensing capability with additional solar-panel powered Supervisory Control and Data Acquisitions system connections to these and three additional sites. The grant funds would also go toward the SCADA master station setup at the District’s main office. The Project would reduce water losses in the District’s distribution system and improve its water management and overall water-use efficiency. The Project sites are located northwest of the city of Fresno, in Madera County.

The EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and is available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=16601. If you encounter problems accessing the document, please call 916-978-5100 or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.

Written comments must be received by close of business Thursday, March 13, 2014, and should be sent to Alexandra Aviles, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, emailed to aaviles@usbr.gov, or faxed to 916-978-5055. For additional information or to request a copy of the EA, please contact Aviles at 916-978-5056 (TTY 800-877-8339). Copies of the document may also be viewed at Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Regional office at the above address.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.