Landowner Groundwater Recharge and Banking Project
January 19, 2021
The Cawelo Water District, with the help and participation of interested landowners, has developed the Cawelo Water District Landowner Recharge and Banking Project. With the uncertain future surrounding California’s water supplies and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the Board of Directors directed staff to initiate this project to help growers continue farming operations into the future, increase groundwater recharge and banking in the Cawelo area, and to help protect the local groundwater resources. After a significant effort, Cawelo has established a set of landowner recharge and banking principles, developed the project description, approved a template banking agreement, and completed the environmental review process.
This new water management tool will allow landowners the opportunity build groundwater recharge facilities on their land to bank their privately owned water supplies for future use within Cawelo or to transfer a portion of their banked supplies to the neighboring areas. Additionally, landowners will have second priority access to Cawelo owned recharge facilities. In return, Cawelo will have similar second priority access to bank Cawelo water in landowner facilities when the Cawelo recharge basins are full.
If you are a Cawelo landowner and interested in participating, please review the below information and contact Cawelo with any additional questions or to initiate the process.
