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News Release

Army Corps of Engineers declares low-level flood release at Pine Flat Dam

North Fork Kings GSA encourages growers to contact their surface water district and take water.

The Army Corps of Engineers recently declared a low-level flood release at Pine Flat Dam to begin Saturday, May 4. This low-level flood release will allow Kings River service agencies to receive additional surface water for deliveries. The North Fork Kings GSA encourages landowners to contact their surface water provider to receive this additional water for irrigation and recharge. Landowners who take water for groundwater recharge will receive future groundwater extraction credits from the North Fork Kings GSA. Learn more about receiving credits for groundwater recharge here.

Landowners are urged to act now while flood release water is available.


 

2024 Groundwater Recharge Project Registration Form Now Available for Landowners

The North Fork Kings GSA has updated their recharge project registration form for landowner-driven recharge operations in 2024. The 2024 form is now available online here.

Landowners who submitted forms in 2023 will need to submit again under the 2024 recharge project registration form to receive credit for any 2024 recharge.

The recharge project registration form benefits landowners within the North Fork Kings GSA who conduct intentional groundwater recharge using surface water in 2024 and wish to seek future groundwater extraction credits. Being aware of the recharge projects allows the North Fork Kings GSA to give proper credit to stakeholders performing recharge once policies governing groundwater credits are in place. While the GSA cannot issue recharge credits at this time, it will track the amount of water recharged using this form. The GSA will work with the appropriate surface water provider to determine the amount of recharge credit to be provided based on the recharge policy of the surface water provider.

The North Fork Kings GSA will use the registration form to recognize the efforts of landowners in recharging the groundwater. The GSA gives landowners freedom to operate their own groundwater recharge project operations in collaboration with their surface water provider. Landowners are encouraged to reach out to their irrigation district managers about maximizing surface water deliveries for groundwater recharge projects.

Beyond landowner credits, recharge project registration helps quantify the current capacity available for groundwater recharge within the North Fork Kings GSA to help the agency assess progress toward sustainability goals.

Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the North Fork Kings GSA is working to address groundwater overdraft and stabilize groundwater levels. A key component of achieving sustainability, while striving for continued viability of irrigated agriculture in the area, is to increase the use of available surface water as groundwater use is reduced. One way to increase the water supply is by capturing excess surface water when available and storing it underground through active recharge projects.

The North Fork Kings GSA thanks every landowner playing an active role by conducting recharge activities. Privately operated recharge projects help the GSA maintain local control over sustainability goals, while replenishing the aquifer.

Stakeholders can access the registration form on the website here, and should email the completed form to jmendes@northforkkings.org. For questions on 2024 recharge projects, call the GSA at (559) 632-7032.


 

New Groundwater Recharge Project Registration Form to Help Landowners Receive Credits

The North Fork Kings GSA has developed a new recharge project registration form for compliant landowner-driven recharge operations. The form is now available online here.

The recharge project registration form benefits landowners within the North Fork Kings GSA who conducted intentional surface water recharge in 2023 and wish to seek future groundwater extraction credits.  Being aware of the recharge projects allows the North Fork Kings GSA to give proper credit to stakeholders performing recharge once policies governing groundwater credits are in place.

The North Fork Kings GSA will use the registration form to recognize the efforts of landowners in recharging the groundwater. The GSA gives landowners freedom to operate their own groundwater recharge project operations in concert with their surface water provider.  

Beyond landowner credits, recharge project registration helps quantify the current capacity available for groundwater recharge within the North Fork Kings GSA to help the agency assess progress toward sustainability goals.

Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the North Fork Kings GSA is working to address groundwater overdraft and stabilize groundwater levels. A key component of achieving sustainability, while striving for continued viability of irrigated agriculture in the area, is to increase the use of available surface water as groundwater use is reduced. One way to increase the water supply is by capturing excess surface water when available and storing it underground through active recharge projects.

The North Fork Kings GSA thanks every landowner playing an active role by conducting recharge activities. Privately operated recharge projects help the GSA maintain local control over sustainability goals, while replenishing the aquifer.

Stakeholders can access the registration form on the website here, and should email the completed form to jmendes@northforkkings.org.


 

Kings Subbasin Builds for Drought Resilience at Record Pace

15 basins representing 600 acres of prime groundwater recharge land with a singular goal of groundwater sustainability

Click here to view the StoryMap outlining project details, locations, and more, and to view the highlight video.

In the short span of two years, the Kings Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, including the North Fork Kings GSA, have invested in 600 acres of prime groundwater recharge land. This land represents 15 dedicated basins that are constructed or in development.

Local water managers have taken the long view as they invest in infrastructure now with the goal to bring sustainability to the groundwater supply shared by all within the Kings Subbasin region.

The additional water infrastructure is anticipated to provide over 15,000 acre-feet of recharge per year on average, directly benefitting groundwater levels for communities and ag lands in the area. An acre foot equals 325,900 gallons, or enough water to cover a football field to a depth of one foot.


View Full StoryMap

Project highlights, videos, locations, and more.

StoryMap


Since the Kings Subbasin submitted seven Groundwater Sustainability Plan Plans (GSP) in January 2020, there has been a driven effort to successfully build groundwater recharge capacity to support Kings Subbasin sustainability goals.

The North Fork Kings GSA has worked diligently alongside its subbasin neighbors to contribute to these efforts. Since GSP adoption, member agency Laguna Irrigation District (ID) has expanded and improved its existing Basin 11 project. Cooperation with water districts like Laguna ID and local landowners has catalyzed construction on several additional projects that in total will bring over 7,000 acre-feet of increased recharge capacity to the area.

NFKGSA Board Seeks Candidates for Rural Community Advisory Committee

The North Fork Kings GSA Board has opened the application process for the Rural Committee Advisory Committee. The Rural Community Advisory Committee is identified in the North Fork Kings special act legislation. The purpose of the Committee is to represent the interests of rural communities. The Committee will assist the Board in providing input, information, and recommendations regarding the sustainable management of groundwater in the North Fork Kings GSA area.

The Committee will consist of no more than nine members and meet on a quarterly basis. Members will need to commit to serve a two-year term and may be reappointed.  All members will be appointed by the Board from the applications received based on their willingness and appropriateness to represent the interests of rural communities.

To apply to serve on the Rural Community Advisory Committee, the Rural Community Advisory Committee Application must be completed and returned by September 15, 2017.

 

North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Takes Lead in Groundwater Management for Riverdale Area

February 10, 2017

Contact: Cristel Tufenkjian,  559.906.2952

North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Takes Lead in Groundwater Management for Riverdale Area

NorthForkKings.org is launched to support stakeholder involvement.

The newly formed North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) took action at their February 9 Board meeting to file paperwork with the State declaring the agency’s intent to be the exclusive groundwater sustainability agency for a portion of the Kings Subbasin. The GSA area covers approximately 168,000 acres in portions of Fresno and Kings counties near the community of Riverdale. The Board also launched the website, www.NorthForkKings.org, which includes information about meetings, notices and events and allows stakeholders to sign-up to receive e-mail updates on North Fork Kings GSA activities.

In 2014, Governor Brown signed landmark legislation called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) into law in response to declining groundwater conditions exacerbated by the historic drought. SGMA is comprehensive legislation that governs the management and use of groundwater in the State.  Its intent is to provide for sustainable local management of groundwater basins while minimizing state intervention to only when necessary. SGMA mandates that critically overdrafted groundwater subbasins be managed by a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) by 2017, that the GSA create a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) by 2020, and that a subbasin be sustainable by 2040.

To comply with SGMA within the North Fork Kings Area, local communities, water agencies and the County of Fresno came together in early 2015 to work on the formation of a GSA. Following over a year of agency meetings and outreach events to local stakeholders, the group chose to formalize under special act legislation, and on September 16, 2016, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 564 (Cannella) North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Act. The new bill created the North Fork Kings GSA composed of County of Fresno, three communities, two irrigation districts, one reclamation district, and eight mutual water companies. The 15 agencies are categorized under seven divisions represented by a 7-member Board. The Act also requires the formation of a rural community advisory committee for the purposes of assisting the board to consider the interests of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater. For more information, please visit www.NorthForkKings.org.

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