News Release Archive

Reclamation Releases Final Environmental Documents for Merced Irrigation District’s Drought Protection Water Management Model Project

Media Contact: Louis Moore, 916-978-5100, wmoore@usbr.gov

For Release: October 26, 2016

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released the final environmental documents for the Merced Irrigation District Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, and Solar Power Project. The documents detail Reclamation’s proposed grant of $297,977 to the District through WaterSMART: Drought Resiliency Project Grant Funding.

The District would use the funding to install two flow stage and weather stations to collect river flow and weather data along the lower Merced River, below the Crocker-Huffman Dam. Data collected at the stations will be used to accurately inform an online management system that ties hydrologic modelling, reservoir simulation modelling and river systems analyses into a real-time simulation of the Merced River watershed.

The Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=24418. If you encounter problems accessing the documents online, please call 916-978-5100 or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov .

For additional information or to request a copy of the Final EA/FONSI, please contact Harry Kahler at 916-978-5216 (TTY 800-877-8339) or hkahler@usbr.gov.

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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.