The North Kings GSA captures above-average rainfall

The Central Valley received above-average levels of rain during December and January, casting hopeful  water supply runoff projections for the year, both for irrigation and to replenish the groundwater aquifer. Thanks to coordination efforts between North Kings GSA Member Agencies – Fresno Irrigation District (FID), the City of Fresno, and Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (FMFCD), high volumes of incoming water have already been captured into the North Kings GSA area.

The North Kings GSA member agencies have done as much as possible to keep water inside its boundaries to continue reaching groundwater sustainability goals. The goal over the past few weeks during the storms has been to route local stormwater runoff to import as much water as safely possible. Balancing this incoming water includes routing Fresno and Clovis urban stormwater westward toward FID and FMFCD’s network of basins and reservoirs for regulation and groundwater recharge.

As of the January 26, 2023, board meeting, Millerton Lake has 151% of average water storage to date because of recent rain, triggering a flood release to open some storage for the eventual snowmelt. Some of this unexpected flood water can be used by growers now for on-farm recharge purposes in partnership with FID. Growers can contact FID’s Watermaster, David Burrow at 559-233-7161 if interested in receiving water.