Big Valley Basin Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Study

The Big Valley Basin Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Study is a state-level initiative led by Modoc County to evaluate the feasibility of using winter surface water flows for intentional groundwater recharge in the Big Valley Basin, as outlined in the Basin’s Sustainability Plan. The project involves three Points of Diversion (PODs) located in Modoc and Lassen Counties, California, which will divert water from the Pit River and Ash Creek during the winter months of December 1 to March 14. The captured water is directed to infiltrate into the ground to replenish aquifers, thereby supporting long-term agricultural, domestic, and municipal water needs in the region. The project is designed as a pilot effort, with its primary deliverable being a feasibility assessment based on operational data collected during the diversion period, including groundwater level monitoring and infiltration effectiveness. The project operates under California’s Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions, specifically Executive Order N-7-22, Action 12, which supports climate resilience and water sustainability initiatives. No formal federal contract clauses, pricing details, evaluation factors, or federal procurement representations are included in the documentation, indicating this is not a federally funded or FAR-governed contract but rather a state environmental implementation effort. Administrative oversight is handled by Modoc County, with Tiffany Martinez serving as the primary point of contact and Sean Curtis acting as the lead agency contact. The place of performance is clearly identified as specific geographic coordinates in Modoc and Lassen Counties, and while the Office of Planning and Research in Sacramento is referenced as the filing address for environmental documentation, there is no specified contract value, payment process, invoicing method, or formal delivery schedule beyond the seasonal window of operation. The effort is fundamentally a data-gathering and demonstration project aimed at informing future water management strategies in the basin.