Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir

In the wake of climate change, the need for groundwater sustainability, increased demand for environmental water and as a demonstration of TID’s commitment to water efficiency and customer service, the District took the proactive step of constructing the Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir.

During the 2016 off-season, TID completed the Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir Expansion Project nearly quadrupling the size of TID’s original seven-acre Lateral 8 pond built the previous year. The Lateral 8 Regulating Reservoir facility utilizes the entire 25.5 acre parcel on which it is located, increasing storage capacity from the original 29 acre-feet to 130 acre-feet.

The regulating reservoir receives water from fluctuations on the Highline Canal, stores the water in the regulating reservoir and when needed, pumps the water back to the Highline Canal or Lateral 7 to supplement existing flows. The Project supports water conservation by stabilizing flow rates in the system downstream of the reservoir and capturing water that is normally spilled allowing that water to remain stored in upstream reservoirs for later use.

Stable flow rates and increased water supply reliability, coupled with faster and more nimble response times to irrigation demands from the nearly 12,000 acres located downstream of the facility, provide vast improvements in customer service for growers served by that portion of the system.

Construction activities lasted approximately three months and included:

• Removing the existing rock slope protection on the interior of the existing berms and removing the northern and eastern embankments.
• Moving 20,000 cubic yards of dirt to be used on site and hauling 78,000 cubic yards offsite.
• Pouring a concrete lining three inches thick on the interior embankment slopes.
• Installing two additional pumps at the existing pump facility.

The Project is located in Merced County, approximately 0.8 miles east of the community of Hilmar. The reservoir is directly north of the head of Lateral 8 and just east of Lateral 7 approximately two miles from the Highline Canal spill to the Merced River, which lies upstream of the Lateral 8 canal.