Lower Deer Creek Watershed
A collaborative project between the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Pixley Irrigation District, The Nature Conservancy, and The National Audubon Society.
As a result of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), farmers in the Tule subbasin are facing significant cutbacks to groundwater pumping. The project would improve groundwater quantity, wetland habitat, threatened and endangered species conservation, and the viability of agriculture in a state-identified critically overdrafted subbasin.
In coordination with The Nature Conservancy and National Audubon Society, Pixley ID GSA is developing a PL-566 Watershed Plan (566 Plan) to evaluate and select sites for constructing wildlife-friendly recharge basins, as well as areas suitable for upland habitat restoration land treatments for upland species on retired marginal agricultural lands. The overall purpose of this project is to engage willing landowners in improving groundwater quantity, providing wetland and upland habitat, and supporting the ongoing viability of agriculture in the face of severe cutbacks to groundwater pumping.
In order to implement the activities in the plan, the project team must complete an environmental assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
