The southern SAN joaquin municipal utility district (ssjmud, district) proposes the woollomes avenue recharge project which involves converting 320 acres of district lands into recharge ponds and…

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded the Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District $6,417,900 on December 11, 2025, under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program (CFDA 15.514) to design and construct the Woollomes Avenue Recharge Project.

The recipient will convert 320 acres of District lands into recharge ponds and construct conveyance infrastructure from the District's mainline to the site, delivering an average annual groundwater recharge volume of 9,800 acre-feet and a 10-year average annual surface supply of 97,920 acre-feet. The project addresses water supply challenges in California's San Joaquin Valley by enhancing groundwater recharge capacity during wet years and increasing water conveyance capacity for recharge, building resilience against the region's periodic severe drought conditions and reduced water deliveries from storage reservoirs.

The project is supported by the Poso Creek Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, the IRWM region's drought contingency plan, and the Kern County Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Work is performed in Delano, California, with completion scheduled for September 30, 2027. The Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief program supports cooperative initiatives with states, tribes, and other entities to increase water supply and hydropower reliability through infrastructure improvements, water source diversification, decision-making tools, and comprehensive drought contingency planning.

The southern SAN joaquin municipal utility district (ssjmud, district) proposes the woollomes avenue recharge project which involves converting 320 acres of district lands into recharge ponds and conveyance from the district?s mainline to the site. The proposed project is a task a project that increases the reliability of water supplies through infrastructure improvements. The project addresses the district's water supply challenges, including the need for enhanced groundwater recharge capacity during wet years and increased water conveyance for recharge. The SAN joaquin valley periodically faces severe drought conditions and reduced water deliveries when water storage reservoirs are at reduced levels. Increasing groundwater recharge through increased conveyance and recharge capacity can play a crucial role in alleviating the impacts of these drought conditions, ensuring a more resilient water supply for the region. Implementation of the project provides an average annual volume of 9,800 AFY with a 10-year average annual surface supply of 97,920 AF for groundwater recharge. The project is supported by the poso creek integrated regional water management (irwm) plan, the irwm region?s drought contingency plan, and the kern county groundwater sustainability plan (GSP).