SACRAMENTO, Calif.
- The Bureau of Reclamation has released for public review a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA)/Initial Study (IS) for a project to construct new water
conveyance facilities that would allow Porterville Irrigation District (PID) to supply surface water to 2,120 acres that currently utilize groundwater for
irrigation purposes.
The proposed action would connect pipelines to the Wood Central Ditch and the Friant-Kern Canal. This would enable PID to deliver more of their surface
water allocation within the district, and landowners in the project area would be able to use surface water in lieu of groundwater, allowing for passive
groundwater recharge. Reclamation would provide partial funding for construction of the proposed action 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 local facilities to bank water underground or recharge groundwater.
The Draft EA/IS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Reclamation
is the lead agency in accordance with NEPA, and PID is the lead agency in accordance with CEQA. The Draft EA/IS may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=26057. If you
encounter problems accessing the document online, please call 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.
Written comments are due by close of business Thursday, July 14, 2016, to Becky Victorine, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-170, Sacramento, CA
95825. Comments may also be faxed to 916-978-5469 or emailed to rvictorine@usbr.gov. For additional information,
please contact Victorine at 916-978-4624 or Adam Nickels at 916-978-4415 or anickels@usbr.gov.
For information on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, please visit www.restoresjr.net.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
