FRESNO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released draft environmental documents for a pilot project for Widren Water District that would allow the district to convey up to 1,000 acre-feet of reverse osmosis treated groundwater through the Delta-Mendota Canal and potentially store it in San Luis Reservoir. The pilot project is part of a larger project aimed at reducing dissolved minerals like salt and selenium in the Grassland Drainage Area.
Widren Water District, located in northwestern Fresno County west of the City of Firebaugh, has recently constructed a reverse osmosis (RO) treatment plant to extract and treat their in-district shallow groundwater. It has been shown in the region that the removal of shallow groundwater can assist in reducing drainage impacts by lowering poor-quality drain water below the crop root zone.
A draft Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the land use authorization for the project and one-year exchange and/or Warren Act contract to Widren Water District were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=30446
Comments are due by close of business Nov. 11, 2017, please send comments to jllewis@usbr.gov. Written comments may also be mailed to Jennifer Lewis, Bureau of Reclamation, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721 or faxed to Lewis at 559-487-5504.
For additional information or to request a copy of the documents, please contact Lewis at 559-487-5197 (TTY 800-877-8339). Copies may also be viewed at Reclamation’s Fresno office at the above address.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
