Large grant to help mitigate floods, recharge groundwater in Merced County

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A 1 cardinal dollar assistance promises to assistance with groundwater recharge and flood diversion successful the Merced County, the Westlands Water District says.

The assistance was awarded to the territory by the California Department of Water Resources arsenic portion of the Flood Diversion Recharge (FDRE) Initiative.

“The District is committed to gathering a resilient h2o aboriginal for the San Joaquin Valley and our household farms,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “This assistance volition greatly assistance america in clearing the way for flood diversion and enactment our ongoing groundwater recharge efforts arsenic we navigate done climate-driven upwind extremes and continued diminution successful reliable aboveground h2o supplies and enactment towards groundwater sustainability.”

According to the h2o district, the assistance volition beryllium utilized to enactment the removal of 450 acres of orchards adjacent the San Luis Canal successful Merced County. The removal of the trees volition trim request for groundwater adjacent captious infrastructure and volition amended the availability of some aboveground and groundwater.

Westlands says the cleared onshore volition besides supply a tract to temporarily clasp diverted floodwater, protecting downstream communities and infrastructure. These diverted waters volition besides enactment to further recharge groundwater successful the area.

The territory says the onshore is portion of 5,340 acres acquired since 2022, including 1,930 acres of removed orchards and vines. The full concern is implicit $58,000,000.