Flying Dragon Groundwater Recharge Project has made new progress since East Kaweah GSA purchased the land in 2024.

Permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the State Water Resources Control Board have both been granted, and there is a pending permit with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. East Kaweah GSA expects the project construction will continue to move forward quickly once final stream-related permits are cleared.

Flyng Dragon is a $1.5 million groundwater recharge project that will provide groundwater recharge, environmental habitat, and recreational benefits with a new recharge basin and walking trail through a conservation easement area.

Once constructed, the basin will provide an average 1,000 acre-feet of groundwater recharge a year to improve the sustainability of local groundwater levels. By using high-quality surface water from the Friant-Kern Canal for recharge, it is anticipated to provide both a water quality and water supply quantity benefit for community members who rely on groundwater for drinking water.

This project is funded in part through a $1.5 million California Department of Conservation Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) grant administered by the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District. Habitat restoration and public access construction projects will be completed by Sequoia Riverlands Trust.