Groundwater Banking Policy Project
Summary
SCH Number
2024090834
Lead Agency
Porterville Irrigation District
Document Title
Groundwater Banking Policy Project
Document Type
NOP - Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR
Received
Present Land Use
The Project would be allowed within existing basins or land that is designated for Agricultural uses by the County’s General Plan and Zoned an agricultural zone district.
Document Description
The Project is a District Banking Policy (Policy or Program) that would be implemented within the PID boundary. The Project would allow eligible applicants to apply for the conversion of a portion of their land to a groundwater banking facility. The program allows for a maximum of up to 120,000 acre-feet of recharge within the District. As water is extracted, more water can be banked within the District.
Additionally water levels within the District would be monitored throughout the life of the Program as described in the Banking Policy and this CEQA document. Based on this monitoring banking could be further limited in certain areas. The land that could be developed as part of the Program consists of existing fallowed and active agricultural land within the District (Figure 2-3).
In order to meet the goals and objectives of the Project the eligible applicants have to comply with the Water Banking Policy as outlined in its entirety in Appendix A. The following sections detail the application process and summarize the Banking Policy as it applies to compliance with CEQA.
Contact Information
Name
Sean Geivet
Agency Name
Porterville Irrigation District
Job Title
District Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Amy Wilson
Agency Name
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group
Job Title
Senior Planner, Environmental Project Manager
Contact Types
Consulting Firm
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Porterville
Counties
Tulare
Regions
Southern California
Other Location Info
The Project is a District Banking Policy (Policy or Program) that would be implemented within the District boundary located approximately 55 miles south of Fresno and 43-miles north of Bakersfield (see Figure 2-1). The land that could be developed as part of the program consists of existing fallowed and active agricultural land (see and Figure 2-3).
The District is situated in the southern San Joaquin Valley, part of the Great Valley of California, in Tulare County (County). The Valley is bordered by the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to the east, the Coast Range to the west, the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range to the north, and the Transverse Range and Mojave Desert to the south (see Figure 2-3). The City of Porterville lies geographically within the District’s management area, but no water banking facilities would be constructed within the urbanized territory that is in the City of Porterville as part of this Project. State Route (SR) 190 runs in an east/west direction along the southern portion of the District’s management area. SR 65 runs in a north/south direction approximately 0.3 miles east of the District’s management area. In addition, SR 99, which runs north/south is located approximately nine miles to the west of the District’s management area.
The District overlies the Tule Subbasin. The Tule Subbasin is bordered by the Kaweah Subbasin to the north, the Kern Subbasin to the south, the Tulare Lake Subbasin to the west, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. The groundwater gradient of the region flows from east to west and primarily contains alluvial sediments.
Notice of Completion
State Review Period Start
State Review Period End
State Reviewing Agencies
California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 6 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Natural Resources Agency, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Fresno Region 5 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
State Reviewing Agency Comments
California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC)
Development Types
Other (Groundwater Banking Policy Project )
Local Actions
Groundwater Banking Policy Project
Project Issues
Geology/Soils, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality
Attachments
Draft Environmental Document [Draft IS, NOI_NOA_Public notices, OPR Summary Form, Appx,]
Notice of Completion [NOC] Transmittal form
State Comment Letters [Comments from State Reviewing Agency(ies)]
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit OPR’s Accessibility Site.