The Westlands Water District in Fresno County officially unveiled the first phase of a new groundwater storage system on Aug. 22, aiming to replenish the nation’s largest irrigation district. Those behind the project say the 614,000-acre district has optimal farming soil but is desperate for water storage. In response, they are implementing the Pasajero Groundwater Recharge Project in two phases. The first phase features a system to recharge basins with 30 cubic feet of water per second, resulting in up to 21,000 acre-feet of water per year. In the second phase, the district will build 10 dry wells to recharge an additional 5,000 acre-feet of water.

Related news release and articles:

• Westlands Water District: Westlands Water District celebrates the completion of phase one of the Pasajero Groundwater Recharge Project 
• ABC 30: Kenneson & Sanchez Basins complete in Kerman
• The Regulatory Review: Opinion: Regulating Agricultural Water Quality