News Release Archive

Reclamation Releases Final Environmental Assessment for San Joaquin River Restoration Program Groundwater Project near Wasco

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

For Release: September 30, 2016

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for construction of a groundwater project through a cost share agreement between the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and the Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District.

The 270-acre project is located in existing non-permanent crop fields west of the Calloway Canal near Wasco, and would use existing pipelines to deliver water supplies to the proposed recharge basins, recovery wells, and new conveyance facilities.

The project also involves a groundwater banking arrangement that would result in a net groundwater gain over the life of the project. For example, when water is available during wet years or is made available through other agreements, it would be stored below ground to help mitigate the impacts of drought and help offset the impacts to Friant Division long-term water contractors from implementation of the San Joaquin River Settlement.

Reclamation would provide partial funding for construction of the proposed project in accordance with 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 facilities to bank water underground or recharge groundwater.

The Final EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=26664. If you encounter problems accessing the document, please call 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.

For additional information, please contact Adam Nickels at 916-978-4415. For information on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, please visit www.restoresjr.net.

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