Thanks to a recently completed Joint Intake and Fish Screen Facility on California’s Sacramento River, salmon and endangered native fish are better protected, about 15,000 acres of crops are getting irrigation, and the cities of Davis and Woodland have a more reliable water supply. Located near Sacramento, CA, this project is a collaboration between Reclamation District 2035 (RD 2035) and Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency (WDCWA), with support from state and federal water managers and resources management agencies. MWH Global, now part of Stantec, designed this important facility and performed the construction management for its completion.
The $46 million project, in development for more 15 years, provides protection of smolts and juvenile fish out-migrating through the San Francisco Bay and on to the Pacific Ocean. The recently constructed intake was the largest unscreened diversion on the Sacramento River. The endangered fishery species are now protected from potential harm on more than 90 percent of the total water diverted from the river. Water flowing into the new intake flows through stainless steel slotted wedge wire screens (o.175 mm slots) designed to prevent the small out-migrating salmon, steelhead and other fish species (many listed as endangered or threatened) to remain in the Sacramento River on their journey to the ocean.
The RD 2035/WDCWA Joint Intake and Fish Screen Facility is a combined 400 cubic-feet per-second diversion of river water and it replaces a pumping facility that is nearly 90 years old. The new facility allows RD 2035 to continue diverting water for 15,000 acres of farmland while allocating a portion of their historic diversion to the cities of Davis and Woodland, augmenting their current groundwater supplies and improving water quality for the communities. The new facility will allow for year-round diversions for the communities.
“This project shows that cooperation between agricultural and municipal interests can truly provide innovative management of Central California’s precious water resources,” says Marshall Davert, the Global Water Leader at MWH/Stantec. “We are extremely proud to have worked side by side with RD 2035 and the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency on this landmark project. It provides needed protection for our precious natural resources and facilitates continued economic prosperity.”
About MWH, now part of Stantec
We’re active members of the communities we serve. That’s why at MWH, now part of Stantec, we always design with community in mind. The MWH community, now part of Stantec, unites approximately 22,000 employees working in over 400 locations across six continents. We collaborate across disciplines and industries to bring water and infrastructure projects to life. Our work as architects, engineers, and consultants from initial project concept and planning through design, construction, and commissioning begins at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. This work is built on a nearly 200-year history. With a heritage in water, our world’s most precious resource, we safeguard and sustain lives, communities, and businesses worldwide. Our local knowledge and relationships, coupled with our global expertise, qualify us to go anywhere to solve our clients’ challenges in more creative and personalized ways. With a long-term commitment to the people and places we serve, we have the unique ability to connect to projects on a personal level and advance the quality of life in communities around the globe. Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at mwhglobal.com and stantec.com, or find us on social media.
