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State-funded stormwater-capture, recharge project breaks ground in Stanislaus County
recharge
Representatives of the Del Puerto and Central California irrigation districts as well as the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, Bureau of Reclamation, and State Water Resources Control Board break ground on a recharge facility.

NEWMAN – The State Water Resources Control Board joined the Central California Irrigation District CCID) and Del Puerto Water District (DPWD) in Newman last Thursday to celebrate the launch of the Orestimba Creek Recharge and Recovery project.

The project is expected to capture up to 3,500 acre-feet per year of stormwater flows for irrigation while reducing flooding risks to nearby disadvantaged communities. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2024. 

The State Water Board committed $5.6 million from its Prop 1 Stormwater Grant Program to fully fund construction of the project’s recharge ponds and diversion and conveyance structures. To provide needed flexibility to plan for and maximize stormwater capture over successive wet seasons, the board issued its second‑ever five‑year temporary permit to the water districts in May.

“Thank you to the water districts for their leadership in bringing this project forward,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Board. “. .  .It’s an example of how districts can take advantage of our financial assistance and streamlined permitting to make critical investments in water resilience.”

Orestimba Creek is a naturally occurring waterway that flows through both water districts in Stanislaus County.

The project permit allows for diversions, beginning with next year’s wet season, to underground storage from approximately 80 acres of percolation ponds to the underlying Delta-Mendota Subbasin.

Stored water can then be used to irrigate more than 209,000 acres of farmland or to augment surface water supplies, reducing impacts on the aquifer during critically dry years.

“Reaching the milestone of groundbreaking for any project is exciting, but my reflections today go first to the importance of collaboration and partnerships,” said Anthea Hansen, general manager of the Del Puerto district.

“The Central California Irrigation District and Del Puerto Water District have worked lockstep for over nine years to bring this 80-acre recharge and recovery project to the Newman area . . . and I cannot be more proud of how our agencies have navigated the many ups and downs of project. This locally owned groundwater storage is a first for the Del Puerto District and its landowners, and I hope we can take what we learned and use it as a model for other potential groundwater storage partnership opportunities in the region.”

Aside from the board’s $5.6 million stormwater grant, the water districts received $800,000 from the Department of Water Resources’ Integrated Regional Water Management Program, also funded by the Prop. 1 initiative.

The overall project also is supported by $1 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and $1.5 million and $1 million provided by CCID and DPWD, respectively, for land acquisition and construction costs.

Statewide goals for stormwater capture, wastewater recycling, desalination, increased storage and conservation are all part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy, which seeks to offset the projected 10% loss in California’s water supplies by 2040 due to climate change.