News Release Archive

San Joaquin River Restoration Program Releases Draft Environmental Document on the Tulare Irrigation District Cordeniz Basin Project

Media Contact: Shane Hunt, 916-978-5100, shunt@usbr.gov

For Release: October 09, 2015

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released for public review a draft environmental assessment/initial study for a project to expand an existing groundwater recharge basin in Tulare County. The proposed project includes constructing and operating an 80-acre groundwater recharge basin, installing supervisory control and data acquisition equipment, relocating a segment of the Serpa Ditch, and constructing five groundwater monitoring wells within the Tulare Irrigation District.

These actions would allow the Tulare Irrigation District to expand groundwater recharge efforts and improve monitoring of groundwater levels. The proposed project also contributes to the San Joaquin River Restoration Program’s goals of reducing or avoiding adverse water supply impacts on all of the Friant Division long-term contractors resulting from the release of its Restoration Flows, which help to restore and maintain fish populations in good condition from below Friant Dam to the confluence of the Merced River.

Reclamation’s proposed funding for construction stems from Part III of Title X, Subtitle A of Public Law 111-11, which authorizes Reclamation to provide financial assistance to local agencies within its Central Valley Project for planning, designing and constructing local facilities to bank water underground or recharge groundwater.

The draft EA/IS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and California Environmental Quality Act. Reclamation is the lead agency in accordance with NEPA, and Tulare Irrigation District is the lead agency in accordance with CEQA. The draft EA/IS may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=23249. If you encounter problems accessing the document online, please call 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.

Written comments are due by close of business Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, to Becky Victorine, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-170, Sacramento, CA 95825. Comments may also be faxed to 916-978-5469 or emailed to rvictorine@usbr.gov. For additional information, please contact Victorine at 916-978-4624 or Aaron Fukuda with the Tulare Irrigation District, at (559) 686-3425 or akf@tulareid.org.

For information on the SJRRP, please visit www.restoresjr.net.

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