Established in 1951 by a special act of the State legislature, the Kings River Conservation District is a multi-county, special district formed to manage the lower Kings River watershed, serving all the constituents within 1.2 million acres in portions of Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties. KRCD is governed by an elected board of seven directors. The District is a collaborative resource agency responsible for water, energy, and environmental resources in the Kings River region. Activities include:
Flood Control: Responsible for maintaining more than 170 miles of flood control levees on the Kings River.
Hydroelectric Generation: Owner/operator since 1984 of the Pine Flat Power Plant, providing reliable, low-cost power to the State Water Project pumping facilities.
Groundwater: Supporting implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act for the Kings and Tulare Lake Subbasins. KRCD provides staff support to six of the 12 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the service area.
Water Quality: Leading implementation of the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program in the region.
Water Management: Managing and participating in the Kings Basin Water Authority, the governing body implementing the Kings Basin Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the Kings Subbasin.
Fisheries: A party to the Kings River Fishery Management Program, providing financial, biological, engineering, and project construction support to enhance the fishery of the Kings River below Pine Flat Dam.