Agenda Item Wording:
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Consider adoption of Resolution 2023-43 requesting to participate in the Department of Water Resources Temporary Land Clearing reimbursement for Flood Diversion Equipment & Recharge Enhancement Initiative.
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Submitting Department: Administration
Contact Name and Phone Number: Rhett Anderson, (559) 713-4530
Department Recommendation: It is the recommendation of staff that the Visalia City Council to adopt Resolution 2023-43 in order to receive funding from the Department of Water Resources for groundwater improvement and to reduce flooding in the Tulare Lake Bottom.
Background Discussion: The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is actively working with local agencies to supplement funding for clearing permanent crops in order to permanently develop land to be more suitable for groundwater recharge and flood mitigation. This funding opportunity is being provided through a subset known as the Flood Diversion Equipment and Recharge Enhancement initiative. In March of 2023, the City of Visalia began diverting flood water via pumping out of the Kaweah system in order to alleviate surface water flows that would ultimately deposit to the Tulare Lake Region, causing further damage to the area. The supplemental funding for land clearing, informally referred to as "Rip and Chip", provided by DWR will aid the City in efforts to remove orchards originally designated for agricultural use, for the purposes of permanent clearing and removal of permanent crops for the purpose of floodwater mitigation during the upcoming flood season and groundwater enhancement. DWR is willing to put forth funding on the condition that the ground that is cleared using DWR funding will remain non-agricultural, and be utilized for floodwater mitigation and groundwater improvement. While DWR has stated that while the funds are being allocated under an emergency ordinance for flood mitigation and groundwater improvement, they understand that there may not be a ris...
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