Bureau of Reclamation Approves Scope of Work for Aquaterra Cultural Resources Survey

The Bureau of Reclamation has approved the scope of work for the final step in the Aquaterra Water Bank cultural resources survey. As part of this process, a team of archaeologists and a backhoe operator will excavate a trench at each location, examining soil for buried cultural resources. Each trench will be carefully dug and backfilled upon completion. Excavations began the week of January 27th.

The survey is a necessary step requested by the Bureau of Reclamation to meet National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements. Compliance with NEPA is key for the project to complete environmental review and continue to progress forward.

The Aquaterra project area includes a vast expansion of canals, basins, and agricultural land to use as recharge sites. The project is a cornerstone of MAGSA’s strategy to achieve groundwater sustainability through surface water storage and recharge.

In addition to finalizing the Aquaterra environmental review process, engineering consultants at TetraTech are actively developing an operational groundwater model for the water bank.