North Kings GSA competes for round two of DWR grant funds
The North Kings GSA submitted round two of the Department of Water Resources Proposition 68 SGMA Implementation Grant funding. Unlike previous rounds of grant funding that were limited to critically overdrafted basins, this round was open to all Groundwater Sustainability Agencies statewide.
North Kings GSA member agencies, Bakman Water Company and the City of Fresno, submitted projects as part of the Kings Subbasin’s application for funding. The two projects will provide more than 2,300 acre-feet per year of water supply to disadvantaged communities, a focus for this round of grant funding.
The City of Fresno’s project will include new construction of a 3-million-gallon recycled water tank and pump station, providing additional 1,800 acre-feet per year of water supply to the community. This recycled water will lessen demand on potable groundwater by using recycled water for non-potable uses including irrigation of open spaces, parks, street medians, cemeteries, and golf courses that otherwise may use groundwater. Using recycled water will also reduce water bills for users.
Bakman Water Company’s recharge basin will convert an existing approximate 11-acre spillway into a recharge basin that will include a habitat and park area. Basin levees will be constructed in addition to a new conveyance to direct water into the basin. The project will replenish the groundwater aquifer — the water supply disadvantaged communities with community wells like Bakman rely on. It will also sustain groundwater levels for nearby domestic wells.
Additionally, the completed basin will capture stormwater and surface water for intentional groundwater recharge by using water that may otherwise have been lost. This is especially important as climate change continues to increase storm frequency and seasonal flooding. Having infrastructure to prepare for these events is important to capture as much water as possible to remain in the North Kings GSA boundary.
The Kings Subbasin was awarded $7.6 million in the last round of DWR grant funding to support several recharge basins, including one in Fresno Irrigation District.
