Santa Rosa Plain On Farm Recharge Pilot Project - Fulton Road

The Santa Rosa Plain On-Farm Recharge Pilot Project at Fulton Road is a six-month demonstration initiative running from November 1 to April 1 each year, aimed at evaluating the potential to raise shallow groundwater levels and enhance deep aquifer recharge using existing on-farm infrastructure. Two five-acre fields located at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens in Santa Rosa, California, will be used to apply up to two feet of groundwater via existing impact sprinklers or drip irrigation systems at a rate of one to three inches per day. The project is designed to measure leaching impacts and assess the technical viability of recharging groundwater with well water, with findings intended to guide future efforts to use Mark West Creek water for broader recharge purposes. No new infrastructure will be installed, and all activities are confined to pre-existing wells and irrigation networks, ensuring minimal disruption to the land and surrounding environment. The effort is exempt under California’s environmental review laws, specifically CEQA Sections 15301 and 15306, which recognize the use of existing facilities and data collection as having no significant environmental impact. The project is led by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, Region 1, with technical oversight provided by Christopher Watt, the Groundwater Specialist, and administrative coordination handled by Andy Rogers of the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency. While the initiative is structured as a forecast and has not yet issued a formal solicitation or contract, it is not a procurement in the federal sense and contains no Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses, payment logistics, evaluation criteria, or financial estimates. The primary deliverable is a technical assessment of recharge feasibility based on groundwater elevation data and leaching analysis, collected on-site at the project location. No formal contract type, award basis, subcontracting requirements, or contractor certifications are applicable, as this is an environmental pilot and regulatory demonstration rather than a competitive federal acquisition. All reporting and documentation must include a certified exemption finding, submitted physically to the Office of Planning and Research in Sacramento, with no electronic submission method or digital portal specified. The project underscores a regulatory and scientific approach to groundwater management through practical field testing under existing conditions.