The stockton east water district, located in SAN joaquin county, california, will design a pipeline to improve drought resiliency and groundwater reliability by providing an alternative source of…

The Stockton East Water District received $387,000 in Project Grant funding from the Bureau of Reclamation under the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507) awarded September 2, 2025, with a completion date of June 30, 2028. The grant funds the design of a surface water pipeline infrastructure project intended to improve drought resiliency and groundwater reliability in San Joaquin County, California. The pipeline will convert irrigation water sourcing at 11 agricultural locations from groundwater pumping to surface water delivery, thereby reducing annual groundwater overdraft by a minimum of 1,220 acre-feet per year.

This project directly addresses critical groundwater sustainability challenges resulting from over-extraction and climate change impacts in the region. The design work aligns with the district's Water Supply Implementation Expansion Project and the state-required Groundwater Sustainability Plan, which prioritizes pumping offsets to balance the local groundwater subbasin. By shifting agricultural irrigation demand away from groundwater supplies to alternative surface water sources, the district will enhance long-term water supply reliability for its service area while supporting regional groundwater sustainability objectives.

The stockton east water district, located in SAN joaquin county, california, will design a pipeline to improve drought resiliency and groundwater reliability by providing an alternative source of water to groundwater users. The districts groundwater supply is at risk due to over-extraction and climate change. With the demand for water increasing and the groundwater supply decreasing, there is a critical need for infrastructure to increase groundwater reliability and resiliency. The district will provide surface water to agricultural land currently utilizing groundwater pumping for irrigation water by designing a pipeline to convert the source of irrigation water at 11 locations from groundwater to surface water, reducing the annual groundwater overdraft by a minimum of 1,220 acre-feet per year. This project is identified in the districts water supply implementation expansion project and the state-required groundwater sustainability plan which prioritizes pumping offsets to balance the groundwater in the subbasin.