About 52% of our overall supply comes from local groundwater wells in the Orange County Groundwater Basin, and the Irvine and Lake Forest sub-basins. For many years, IRWD received almost all of our water from imported sources. To alleviate this dependency on costly imported water, IRWD began to develop a series of local wells in 1979. The Dyer Road Wellfield Project extracts low-cost, high-quality water from deep within the Orange County Groundwater Basin. IRWD now operates 27 groundwater wells. Click to learn more about IRWD's Groundwater.

The State Water Project, also known as the California Aqueduct, transports water 600 miles from Northern California to the southern portion of the state. It is owned and operated by the State of California and is the longest aqueduct system in the world, featuring 23 dams and reservoirs, 22 pumping plants that lift water to heights of 3,500 feet, and six power plants. The aqueduct is composed of 473 miles of canals, 175 miles of pipeline and 20 miles of tunnels.

The Colorado River Aqueduct brings water 242 miles from the Colorado River through deserts and over mountain ranges to its terminal reservoir, Lake Mathews, in Riverside County. The aqueduct system includes five pumping plants that lift the water 1,617 feet.

IRWD produces about a quarter of our supply by capturing water that normally would run out to sea, treating it, and reusing it for irrigation and other non-potable, or non-drinking, uses. We also supplement our supplies by cleaning non-potable groundwater to make it suitable for irrigation. Every gallon of recycled water and cleaned groundwater we use saves a gallon of drinking water. Click to learn more about IRWD's Recycled Water Program.

Strand Ranch Water Banking Project

Located in Kern County, the Strand Ranch Water Banking Project improves IRWD's water supply reliability by capturing low cost water available during wet years for use during periods of drought or critical need. Using a system of 502 acres of constructed groundwater recharge ponds on Strand Ranch, IRWD can store up to 50,000 acre-feet in the Water Bank and may recharge or recover up to 17,500 acre-feet in any single year. Click for more information about Water Banking.

Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project

IRWD is partnering with Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District in the development of the Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project, which will provide substantial water supply reliability benefits to the agencies. IRWD and Rosedale are actively pursuing both State and Federal funding for the project. Following are links to important documents related to securing State of California Water Storage Investment Program funding and Federal Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act Funding.

Water Storage Investment Program

On July 24, 2018, the California Water Commission voted to conditionally award the Kern Fan Project $67.5 million. IRWD and Rosedale are now working to complete additional requirements outlined in the program regulations in order to execute a final funding agreement and receive funds.

• View the WSIP application
• View the IRWD presentation overview of the project and WSIP application
• View the Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project Factsheet
• View the WSIP Appeal Letter

Federal WIIN Act 

On October 21, 2019, IRWD and Rosedale submitted a draft feasibility report to the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for review.

• View the Draft Feasibility Report and
  • Appendix A (Letters Authorizing State-Led Projects)
  • Appendix B (Environmental Documentation)
  • Appendix C (Modeling Technical Report)
  • Appendix D (Engineering Designs and Costs)
  • Appendix E (Existing Water Bank Alternative)
  • Appendix F (Economic Benefits Evaluation)
  • Appendix G (Cost Allocation)
  • Appendix H (Ecosystem Benefits in the Delta)
  • Appendix I (Groundwater Technical Report)
  • Appendix J (Kern Groundwater Storage Project Schedule)

After reviewing the project proposal documents, Reclamation sent a letter on February 24, 2020, to IRWD and Rosedale requesting additional information.

In response to the Bureau’s request for additional information, IRWD and Rosedale submitted an updated feasibility report and appendices along with an additional information package on April 13, 2020. The additional information package includes responses to Reclamation’s comments along with supporting attachments.

• View the Updated Draft Feasibility Report and
  • Appendix A (Letters Authorizing State-Led Projects)
  • Appendix B (Environmental Documentation)
  • Appendix C (Modeling Technical Report)
  • Appendix D (Engineering Designs and Costs)
  • Appendix E (Existing Water Bank Alternative)
  • Appendix F (Economic Benefits Evaluation)
  • Appendix G (Cost Allocation)
    • Buena Vista Alignment Preferred Alternative
    • East Side Alignment Alternative
    • Kern Water Bank Alignment Alternative
    • Willow Springs Alternative
    • Benefit Cost Summary
  • Appendix H (Ecosystem Benefits in the Delta)
  • Appendix I (Groundwater Technical Report)
  • Appendix J (Kern Groundwater Storage Project Schedule)

• View the Additional Information Package and
  • Attachment 1: (Public Benefit Ratio Appeal Package)
  • Attachment 2: (Water Storage Investment Program Technical Reference)
  • Attachment 3: (M.Cubed Technical Memorandum, 2020)
    • Supporting Documentation
  • Attachment 4: (Groundwater Banking Joint Powers Authority Agreement)
  • Attachment 5: (IRWD Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports)
    • 2016
      2017
      2018
      2019
  • Attachment 6: (Rosedale Funding Capability Letter)
  • Attachment 7: (Storage Integration Study)
  • Attachment 8: (Preliminary Operations Plan)
  • Attachment 9: (Kern County Water Agency Water Supply Contract)
  • Attachment 10: (Dudley Ridge Water District Water Supply Contract)
  • Attachment 11: (Change in Point of Delivery Agreement)
  • Attachment 12: (Project Schedule)
  • Attachment 13: (CEQA and NEPA Schedule)

In June, IRWD and Rosedale participated in a Design, Estimating and Construction (DEC) Review of the Project with Reclamation. The DEC Review included a virtual tour of the Project and an in-depth evaluation of risks and costs associated with the Project. On June 12, 2020, IRWD and Rosedale participated in a briefing on the findings of Reclamation’s DEC Review of the Kern Fan Project. In response to Reclamation’s findings, IRWD and Rosedale submitted the following Addendums and Exhibits to Reclamation on July 1, 2020.

Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project Presentations:

• View the Response to DEC Review Findings 

• • Table of Contents
  • Addendum No. 1: Arsenic Mitigation
  • Addendum No. 2: Recharge Basin Design and Operation for Intermittent Wetland Benefits
  • Addendum No. 3: Project Contingency
  • Addendum No. 4: Addressing Feasibility Study Comments
  • Exhibit A: Strand Ranch Pump in Plan and Blending Model
    • Blending Model
  • Exhibit B: Updated Benefit-Cost Analysis for Buena Vista Alignment Preferred Alternative
  • Exhibit C: Updated Benefit-Cost Analysis for East Side Alignment Alternative
  • Exhibit D: Updated Benefit-Cost Analysis for Kern Water Bank Alignment Alternative
  • Exhibit E: Stockdale West Bid Summary
  • Exhibit F: Superior Well Equipping Bid Summary
  • Exhibit G: Project Construction Cost Summary Sheet
  • Exhibit H: Cost Estimating Back-up Documentation
  • Exhibit I: Recent Property Sales in Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD Service Area
  • Exhibit J: Conveyance Canal Cross-Sections
  • Exhibit K: Conveyance Canal Quantity Calculations

In July, Reclamation released its final Design, Estimating, and Construction Review Report of the Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project. The DEC Review Report and supplemental information submitted by IRWD and Rosedale serve as the basis for the Joint Resolution Memorandum, which concludes the DEC Review process.

• View the Final DEC Review Report and
• Joint Resolution Memorandum 
  • Joint Resolution Memorandum Attachment

Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project Presentations:

• Presentation to Lower Colorado Basin Regional Basin Regional Director Dr. Terry Fulp June 26, 2020
• Presentation to Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman August 5, 2020
• Presentation to California-Great Basin Regional Director Ernest Conant August 19, 2020
• Presentation to Bureau of Reclamation Policy Team August 20, 2020.

Water Supply Reliability Program

IRWD has purchased property in Riverside County that is located within the Palo Verde Irrigation District. Ownership of this land will eventually become another element of IRWD’s long-term program to increase water supply reliability for its customers during droughts and other potential water supply interruptions. This land is currently farmed by a tenant farmer; IRWD expects to continue with the practice.  For more information please click here.

California H2O: Flowing for the Future