Prop 50 Supplemental Round (Mini 50) IRWM Implementation Grant
Introduction
Following the two grant funding cycles of Proposition 50 Integrated Regional Water Management (IWRM) Grant program, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) made available a supplemental grant-funding round, referred to as Mini 50, in an effort to partially fulfill Grantee’s original grant request. Eligibility for IRWM grant funding through Mini 50 specifically targeted active Implementation Grantees who successfully competed for partial funding in the Prop 50 IRWM Grant program.
Grant Contract
In 2010, the Kings Basin Water Authority (KBWA) submitted a grant application to DWR to compete for Mini 50 supplemental funding. DWR awarded the KBWA with $2,099,868.00 to offset a combined project cost of $4,153,841.04 for two projects: Phase II of the City of Fresno Residential Water Meter Project and Phase II of the Fresno Irrigation District Jameson Pond Expansion Project. The grant agreement between KBWA and DWR was executed in August 31, 2010 and all work was completed by June 30, 2014.
COMPONENT 1: City of Fresno Residential Water Meter Project – Phase II
The City of Fresno Residential Water Meter Project aimed to transition all of its water users from flat rate billing to a metered billing system by January 1, 2013 in order to comply with Assembly Bill 514 (2003). The goal of the project is to increase water conservation and awareness for users and to achieve a net 10% reduction in annual water use which equates to 900,000 gallons per day, or approximately 1,008 acre-feet per year. Phase I of the Residential Water Meter Project was completed with funding through Round 2 of the State Water Resources Control Board Prop 50 IRWM grant program and included the installation of 10,000 Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) water meters of the City’s planned 110,000 water meters. Phase II of the Project, funded through the Mini 50 supplemental grant, is a continuation of the installation of 5,000 AMR water meters and water meter boxes, and three (3) system collectors (radio systems) which will poll and collect data from the individual water meters for a certain area. Phase II of the City of Fresno Residential Water Meter Project was completed on June 29, 2011. The third phase of the Project received grant funding from Prop 84 Round 1 IRWM Implementation Grant and includes the installation of 17,820 AMR water meters.
COMPONENT 2: Fresno Irrigation District Jameson Pond Expansion Project (Boswell Pond) – Phase II
The Jameson Pond Expansion Project (formally known as Boswell Pond) is a water development, groundwater-banking project located in the southwest portion of Fresno Irrigation District (FID) in Fresno County. Phase II of the Jameson Pond Expansion Project included the addition of a third recovery well, additional pipeline to convey water from the well to the District’s Lower Dry Creek Canal, and a regulation outlet structure to the Lower Dry Creek Canal. The third recovery well will increase the net recovery of water from the recharge basin from 3,000AF/year to 4,500AF/year as well as provide a low-cost dry-year water supply to reduce fallowing, crop losses and groundwater overdraft. This Project concluded on June 30, 2014.