Image: McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture and Recharge Project, Project Head Work

July 6, 2020

Kings River Conservation District (KRCD), in collaboration with Terranova Ranch, Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group, and Tetra Tech, has been awarded the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Fresno Chapter, for the McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture and Recharge project. The local project is the first of its kind, pioneering the implementation of large-scale flood flow capture.

This innovative flood project has the capacity to capture 500 cfs (cubic feet per second) onto over 5,000 acres of irrigated farmland and recharge the groundwater aquifer, critical as the region works to achieve sustainable groundwater supplies under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

This multi-benefit project promotes flood water use (in-lieu of groundwater pumping) and groundwater recharge, while mitigating flood risks to many downstream communities, including Disadvantaged Communities, on both the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers.

Increasing the regional capacity to capture our local rivers’ flood flows during wet years is a key component to both maintain the safety of surrounding farms and communities, and to manage water supplies strategically and sustainably.

The American Society of Civil Engineers annually recognizes an exemplary civil engineering project as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement. Established in 1960, the prestigious award honors the project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society.