On Wednesday, August 21st, the Fresno Irrigation District (FID) held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the Kenneson & Sanchez Groundwater Recharge Basins.
The District thanks all who came to celebrate at the event – including the Sanchez and Dee families – who drove forward the legacy of water reliability and groundwater sustainability in FID through the sale of their adjacent land parcels for the project.
This groundwater recharge project was named in honor of the Sanchez family and Mickey Kenneson of Kenneson Farms.
Mickey, who passed away 4 years ago, was represented at the ribbon cutting by his nephew Steve Dee, along with Steve’s wife, their two sons, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Mickey was a dedicated Fresno County farmer and a passionate advocate for agriculture. He was actively involved in the Fresno County Farm Bureau for many years, where he led educational tours for teachers, reporters, and others eager to learn about farming.
From the Sanchez family, three generations attended the ceremony: Vidal Sanchez Sr., Vidal Sanchez II, and Vidal “Bo” Sanchez III, FID’s very own employee. The Sanchez family has farmed in Fresno County for decades, and they were joined by their spouses to commemorate the completion of the Kenneson & Sanchez Basins.
Representatives from the agencies who provided nearly $2.5 million in grant funds, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) were also in attendance. By investing local landowners’ Proposition 218 dollars and leveraging grant funding, FID took the project from start to finish in a record two years.
At 47-acres in size, the Kenneson & Sanchez Basins will recharge an average 960 acre-feet of water a year. Located at the intersection of Modoc and Clinton avenues near Kerman, this project will directly benefit the Sun Empire Elementary School, local growers, and rural residents with domestic wells - all reliant in whole or part on groundwater for their water supplies.
The Kenneson & Sanchez Basins project:
Develops a reliable source of groundwater for growers’ irrigation needs when surface water is not available
Increases drinking water supply availability during dry years for groundwater-dependent residents
Helps stabilize the groundwater table, benefitting all who rely on wells to access water
Improves overall groundwater quality by recharging the aquifer with high-quality surface water
Supports compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) by contributing to sustainable groundwater management practices
Provides habitat for ducks, geese, and waterfowl
This project is one of 400 additional acres that FID plans to construct into basins to develop dry-year water supplies for its growers and advance sustainability alongside the North Kings GSA under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
A big thank you again to everyone who joined us to celebrate!
Watch the short video below for a look at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
To view photos from the ribbon cutting, click on the photo below.
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