Sacramento, California - The Bureau of Reclamation has released for public review the Draft Environmental Assessment analyzing the impacts of approving an exchange of up to 2,000 acre-feet of Level 2 refuge water for groundwater that will also result in up to 2,000 acre-feet of Incremental Level 4 refuge water for the fall of 2015.

The San Luis and Del Puerto Water Districts propose to fund the costs associated with the pumping and delivery of groundwater supplies up to 4,000 acre-feet from existing private wells located within the Grassland Water District in exchange for up to 2,000 acre-feet of Central Valley Project L2 refuge water supply. The developed groundwater supplies would be delivered to private lands within the Grassland Resources Conservation District, Merced County, to meet refuge water supply demands. In exchange for funding and delivering the groundwater supplies, the districts, which are located in western San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced and Fresno counties, would receive CVP L2 water delivered by Reclamation to help meet their agricultural water needs.

The Draft EA was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and is available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=22752. If you encounter problems accessing the document online, please call 916-978-5100 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Written comments must be received by close of business Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, and should be sent to Brad Hubbard, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way (MP-410), Sacramento, CA 95825, emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or faxed to 916-978-5059.

For additional information or to request a copy of the Draft EA, please contact Hubbard at 916-978-5204 (TTY 800-877-8339). Copies of the document may also be viewed at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Regional Office at the above address.