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Kaweah Delta general manager details county recharge projects, urges FEMA aid after 2023 damage
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Summary
Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District general manager Shane described five recharge-basin projects — including a 380-acre Hannah Ranch South — and said FEMA disputes over liability have delayed roughly $4 million the district is seeking to finish a damaged water-control structure.
Shane, general manager of the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, told the Tulare County Water Commission that the district is constructing five recharge basins ranging from about 50 acres to roughly 380 acres and working through multiple state and federal grants to support recharge and flood-control work.
Shane said projects include Quia Oaks Preserve (partnering with SRT), the Perrigen basins and Hannah Ranch South, the district’s largest project at about 380 acres. The Hannah Ranch design uses a turnout off the Frank Kern Canal, two 72‑inch pipes and a 100‑foot conveyance ditch to move water into six storage cells for groundwater recharge and to return flows to the Lower Kaweah River when needed. Shane said the conveyance can take about 375 cubic feet per second through the turnout and that, when fully outfitted with inlet and outlet structures, it could route about 500 cfs through the pipe system.
Shane described multiple grant sources the district has used, including State Water Resources Control Board programs, MLRP (the Department of Conservation’s Multi‑Use Land Repurposing Program), Department of Water Resources funding and a WaterSMART grant through the Bureau of Reclamation. He said most of the five active projects received state or federal assistance that allowed added habitat restoration and site‑improvement work.
Shane also described a check structure that was damaged in 2023 and required substantial rebuilding. “We’ve basically already spent about $2,300,000 on it,” he said, and estimated another ~$600,000 may be required to complete repairs. He told commissioners the district is pursuing roughly $4,000,000 from FEMA but that negotiations have been slow because, he said, FEMA is trying to shift liability to the contractor. “FEMA basically is playing games, to be quite honest with you, about the responsibility, the liability, and different things like that,” Shane said, describing the disagreement as a reason the project’s funding and schedule remain uncertain.
Shane summarized other operational details: the district has stockpiled material from excavation and is allowing developers to take fill for free (normally charging about $3 per cubic yard); Basin 1 is a partnership with Consolidated People’s Ditch Company; and Oaks Basin has been used for flood control and periodically requires ripping to restore permeability for recharge.
Commissioners asked about sharing the drone footage and maps used in the presentation; Shane offered to provide large files on a flash drive. He also outlined a rough timeline for Hannah Ranch: inlet and outlet work expected to go out to bid in the next 30–60 days, FEMA determinations hoped within six to eight months, and a separate water‑control structure off the Lower Kaweah River planned for September 2027 with an expected three‑month construction window.
The commission thanked Shane for the update and moved to the next agenda item.
