The grassland water district (GWD) is proposing the north grasslands intertie program, which will help to address a significant component of the habitat maintenance demand and the wetland habitat…

The Grassland Water District (GWD) received a $3.5M Project Grant from the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA, CFDA 15.648) to design and construct the North Grasslands Intertie Program. The award, effective May 1, 2025, with completion targeted for December 31, 2027, funds the construction of a 216 Ditch pump station, intertie pipeline, and associated infrastructure to capture high-quality operational spill from the 216 Ditch, Ingomar Drain, and Mosquito Ditch for delivery into the Santa Fe Canal. This infrastructure improvement will support GWD's broader North Grasslands Water Conservation and Enhancement Project (NGWCEP), which encompasses approximately 12,000 acres of managed private and public wetland complexes in the North Grasslands area.

The primary deliverable is operational water conveyance infrastructure that enables wetland habitat managers to supply moist-soil habitat and maintain wetland flooding during drought or surface water restriction periods. By capturing previously unused operational spill and incorporating groundwater resources, the project directly supports waterfowl conservation efforts across the Grasslands Ecological Area and contributes to regional Pacific Flyway habitat objectives as outlined in CVPIA requirements. GWD is executing this project in coordination with Ducks Unlimited, a recognized conservation partner.

The grassland water district (GWD) is proposing the north grasslands intertie program, which will help to address a significant component of the habitat maintenance demand and the wetland habitat enhancement goals outlined in the central valley project improvement act (cvpia). A central component to this program is the 216 ditch pump station, which will allow the recapture of high quality operational spill during the winter months, and will support multiple aspects of the districts north grasslands water conservation and enhancement project (ngwcep). The overall ngwcep is a large, multi-year phased project dedicated to water conservation that will serve approximately 12,000 acres of managed private and public wetland complexes in the north grasslands area. Ngwcep consists of the 216 ditch lift pump station, two wells, and pipelines that will convey water to gwds three largest conveyance canals in the north grasslands mosquito ditch, LOS banos creek, and santa FE canal. The north grasslands intertie program design includes construction of a pump station, pipeline and corresponding infrastructure for the integration of captured operational spill and the conveyance of groundwater to the districts santa FE canal. GWD is requesting cvpia funding to construct the pump station and intertie pipeline in coordination with ducks unlimited. The project will allow for the capture of operational spill from the 216 ditch, ingomar drain, and mosquito ditch to be delivered into the santa FE canal, one of the districts major water supply canals. With these improvements, wetland habitat managers will be able to provide high quality moist-soil habitat and flood their wetlands during drought or other surface water restriction years, benefiting waterfowl conservation efforts within the larger grasslands ecological area and the pacific flyway.