A ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly built recharge basin in west Fresno County is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 9 a.m.

The Fresno Irrigation District completed construction of the Carter Bybee Groundwater Recharge Basin, a 35-acre basin that will sink an average of 840 acre-feet of water annually. The basin is in the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA).

The ceremony will take place at the corner of Jameson and Barstow avenues near Biola.

The $6 million project was funded through the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) funds, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s drought program and the district’s land assessments.

Basin Will Help Meet SGMA Goals

The basin is expected to aid the district and the GSA by increasing water supply and improving groundwater quality in the region as part of SGMA, which mandates local entities bring aquifers into balance by 2040.

According to the district’s 2025 annual report, FID recharged 27,315 acre-feet of water that year. Another 46,773 acre-feet were recharged through flood control basins and other agency basins within its boundaries last year.

The basin is named after the Bybee family, who previously owned the land, a district news release states.

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