Hallmark is project manager for the Westlands Water District Storage Treatment and Aquifer Recharge (STAR) program. Westlands is a California water district that serves irrigation water to approximately 540,000 acres on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno and Kings Counties. To facilitate achieving groundwater sustainability within the timeframe mandated by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Westlands contracted with Hallmark to develop a program to store excess flows during wet years. To address the need, Hallmark proposed and implemented the STAR program as a comprehensive approach to optimize water resource storage and management for Westlands. The program includes construction of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, passive groundwater recharge facilities, drainage water pumping and treatment facilities, surface storage facilities, and new intra-district conveyance facilities.
Results: In addition to providing oversight of design and strategic implementation of this multi-facility approach, Hallmark is providing grant administration. On behalf of Westlands Hallmark was awarded a grant for a pilot project to desalinate brackish water and use the permeate to increase water security in Disadvantaged Communities and the brine to irrigate high value crops to feed livestock. Upon completion, the STAR program is anticipated to yield an additional 1.9 million acre-feet of water over the next 30 years to further client goals of providing timely, reliable, and affordable water.
