About this archived opportunity

The funding disbursed through this Grant Program is intended to support projects that will result in direct, measurable water quality improvements to the San Joaquin River by reducing or eliminating discharges of subsurface agricultural drainage. Previous studies suggest that source control, drainage reuse, evaporation and disposal systems, land retirement, groundwater management, and institutional changes are all used in the management of subsurface drainage and drainage-related problems on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Eligible projects include those that reduce or eliminate discharges of subsurface agricultural drain water from the west side of the San Joaquin Valley for the purpose of improving water quality in the San Joaquin River and the Delta.4 PRC §75029(a) specifies that the reduction or elimination of subsurface agricultural drainage to the San Joaquin River should result in the reduction or elimination of salt, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides, pathogens, and other pollutants. Eligible proposals must include projects that will provide a public benefit (PRC §75004) and that will satisfy all other requirements of these Guidelines and PSP. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, those that use drainage collection systems and water treatment technologies to reduce or eliminate drainage to the San Joaquin River from west side irrigators. Projects involving reuse of collected subsurface drainage water, water treatment projects targeting salinity and other constituent reduction, and implementation of BMPs may also be evaluated. Other types of eligible projects that meet the objectives of the prior paragraph will also be considered.