Armed with over $27 million in mostly state and federal grants over the past three years, Fresno Irrigation District (FID) in central California is using that capital to improve water availability, delivery, and flood control.

Most of FID’s customers are commercial farmers that grow over 100 crops across 250,000 acres. About 30% of the district’s water from the Kings and San Joaquin rivers helps supply the cities of Fresno and Clovis with drinking water.

FID’s water deliveries to farms and cities are not the only responsibility the district has. Moving storm flows out of city catch basins into larger recharge facilities maintained by FID helps manage urban flooding and groundwater recharge in the region.

Kassy Chauhan, special projects manager for FID, and the executive officer of the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), said the state and federal agencies are looking for shovel-ready projects, which aided FID in receiving millions of dollars in grant funding. The district has become a priority basin for Natural Resources Conservation District funding because of its success with other grants and projects.

“FID has demonstrated success in its projects, which has been a huge win for the district,” Chauhan said.

The district’s success on receiving these grants has not been lost on others within the agency.

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“These grants are a big deal to any agency,” said FID General Manager Bill Stretch. “We have limited funding sources, and these grants can help us expedite projects.”

Grants 'impressive'

Ryan Jacobsen, FID board president and Fresno almond farmer, said the volume and size of the grants are “impressive for a district our size.”

Stretch said the grants greatly aid the district as the agency’s funding is largely limited to assessments on landowners within the district. Those funds can only go so far to operate and update existing infrastructure. The influx of state and federal grants greatly speeds the district’s efforts to comply with the State Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), while adding a more sustainable water supply for district farmers.

Five grants totaling over $8 million came from the California Department of Water Resources to help address needs at various basins and ponds within the district. Additional federal money totaling more than $6 million will aid a basin that specifically feeds FID farmers and will help with on-farm water conservation.

One of those grants will provide $100,000 to help farmers install well meters to monitor their groundwater use. These 50/50 grants will provide growers with half the money needed to install meters. Funding will be provided on a first come, first-serve basis, according to Stretch.

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Chauhan said there is an application process for the cost-share funding. Farmers in the North Kings GSA, of which FID is the largest member, are not required to install the well meters, but the cost incentives to do this will likely aid in their adoption, she said.

“This funding is another great opportunity for our growers,” Stretch said. “With the installation of meters, growers can better monitor their water usage and support our regions efforts to balance the groundwater table.”

Costs reduced

A $4.1 million federal grant will aid the district in reducing pumping costs at five facilities, which Stretch says will free up money for other areas of the district. Walkthroughs with potential contractors happened in early December with construction set to start soon on these projects.

FID made its application for the solar project ahead of a state-imposed deadline that will allow the district to capture more income from the sale of solar power back to Pacific Gas & Electric under previous net energy metering (NEM) rules. Like others in the state, FID was able to apply to add solar power under the former NEM 2.0 plan in California. The new NEM 3.0 plan enacted in 2023 greatly reduced what public utilities are required to pay solar customers for the power they provide back to the electric grid.

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Chauhan said the district is also excited about a $2.46 million state grant that tripled the capacity of a channel used for recharge. This was a maintenance project that she said is difficult to win grants to cover.