USDA is investing in Maxwell Water Intertie (MWI). The MWI facilities will connect the Tehama Colusa Canal (TC Canal) and the Glenn Colusa Irrigation District’s (GCID) main canal.
These facilities are expected to increase water management flexibility and strengthen water supply for participants during dry years. It can also increase the reliability of water management in the western Sacramento Valley.
US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said: “Modern and reliable water infrastructure is the backbone to prosperity in the Sacramento Valley and across our nation. Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being an ally to innovative leaders taking action to rebuild rural infrastructure in California and beyond, which is why we are investing in projects like the Maxwell Water Intertie.
“By working in a collaborative fashion with our state and local partners, we can balance the needs of everyone involved and ensure that the productivity of water in the Sacramento Valley is around for generations of farmers and ranchers to come.”
MWI includes building a 5.6km of 12-foot diameter pipeline along with a new pump station that will be used to pump water from the GCID system to the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority’s (TCCA) Funks Reservoir.
Water exchange between Funks Reservoir and the GCID system will occur through the new pipeline by gravity flow in the reverse direction.
The project also includes the construction a new 1,200 acre-foot Terminal Regulating Reservoir (TRR) which will be built next to the GCID Main Canal. This will help in regulating flows in the GCID main canal and support the operation of the Maxwell Water Intertie facilities.
In September, USDA agreed to invest about $392m in rebuilding and improving rural water and wastewater infrastructure across 42 states.
As part of this commitment, the department stated that it will invest in 120 infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. This support can be used for to finance drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
