News Release Archive

Reclamation Announces $2.9 Million in Water Use Efficiency Grants

Media Contact: Shane Hunt, 916-978-5101, shunt@usbr.gov

For Release: June 30, 2016

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation announces the selection of five projects across California to receive a total of $2.9 million in CALFED Water Use Efficiency grants for fiscal year 2016. Combined with local cost-share contributions, approximately $10 million in water management improvement projects will be implemented during the next 24 months.

The selected projects will conserve an estimated 10,275 acre-feet per year of water, contributing to the CALFED Bay-Delta Program objectives of improving ecosystem health, water supply reliability, and water quality. California and federal agencies are partners in the 30-year Program (2000-2030).

Reclamation selected the projects through a competitive process, giving priority consideration to projects that address CALFED goals on a statewide basis. The following provides details on the selected districts’ projects and federal cost share:

Biggs-West Gridley Water District, $747,311 This project will conserve water by reducing operational spillage through a combination of infrastructure modernization improvements and implementation of a canal operations decision support system. Modernization improvements will be made at 130 customer delivery turnouts to provide accurate delivery measurement; improvements at nine canal headings to provide improved flow measurement; and flow measurement and real time monitoring at six primary operational spills. Real-time monitoring will be implemented through the District’s new Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Annual water savings will be 3,320 acre-feet per year; lifetime water savings will be 116,200 acre-feet. Total project cost is $1,494,622 with a federal cost-share of $747,311.

Cawelo Water District, $375,000 The District will install a 1.8-mile long, 36-inch diameter, bi-directional, intertie pipeline. The intertie pipeline will allow for the efficient conveyance of surface water into the District from the Friant-Kern Canal and the efficient return of water stored in the District back to the Friant-Kern Canal. The project will conserve groundwater by allowing for the piped delivery of surface water to in-district irrigation distribution systems or spreading facilities. The project improves the efficiency of the District’s in-district water management by decreasing seepage loss through use of the intertie pipeline instead of relying on the 2.4 miles of unlined canals. Annual water savings will be 358 acre-feet per year; lifetime water savings will be 17,919 acre-feet. Total project cost is $2,772,345 with a federal cost-share of $375,000.

Firebaugh Canal Water District, $290,000 The project will replace approximately 1.8 miles of the District’s unlined 2nd Lift Canal with a concrete-lined canal. The project will encourage growers to utilize high-efficiency irrigation systems, reduce tail water production, and promote water conservation. Annual water savings will be 220 acre-feet per year; lifetime water savings will be 6,600 acre-feet. Total project cost is $1,198,100 with a federal cost-share of $290,000.

Richvale Irrigation District, $748,319 The project will conserve water through infrastructure modernization improvements that will result in reduced operational spillage and reduced farm deliveries through increased efficiency. Modernization improvements to the District’s infrastructure will include improvements at 14 check structures and lateral canal headings along the Main Canal and Main West Canal to provide improved water level control, flow control, flow measurement, SCADA system, and automation. The project will improve delivery flexibility and steadiness for 22 delivery turnouts along the Main Canal and Main West Canal and 110 delivery turnouts along lateral canals. These turnouts serve approximately 40 percent of the District’s irrigated area. Annual water savings will be 3,790 acre-feet per year; lifetime water savings will be 113,700 acre-feet. Total project cost will be $1,496,638 with a federal cost-share of $748,319.

Reclamation District 108, $750,000 The project will replace 26 manual control gates with automated control gates along with remote monitoring capability to provide system-wide management and monitoring and will replace over two miles of unlined earthen ditches with a pipeline to reduce seepage and provide the flexibility and infrastructure suitable for high-efficiency irrigation systems. The pipeline project will support abandoning a point of diversion without National Marine Fisheries Service approved fish screens. Annual water savings will be 2,587 acre-feet per year; lifetime water savings will be 61,600 acre-feet. Total project cost is $3,000,000 with a federal cost-share of $750,000.

For more information on the Water Use Efficiency program, please contact David T. White at dwhite@usbr.gov or 916-978-5208 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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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.