Friant-Kern Canal Archives

Damage from “severe breach” of Friant-Kern Canal construction at Deer Creek difficult to assess

March 13, 2023

• by Lois Henry

An unfinished section of the new Friant-Kern Canal suffered a “severe breach” at Deer Creek in Tulare County Friday night as the normally dry creek swelled with rain and snowmelt and overran its banks into the construction zone. “This was worse than the one before,” said Johnny Amaral, Chief Operating Officer of the Friant Water…

Friant-Kern Canal

Friant-Kern Canal fix on schedule; water quality guidelines discussed

December 14, 2022

• by Rose Horowitch, SJV Water reporting intern

The Friant-Kern Canal fix is underway and on schedule to be completed before Sept. 1, 2024, according to an update at a recent Friant Water Authority (FWA) Board of Directors meeting. “They’re on track, they’re on schedule,” Stantec Engineering’s Janet Atkinson told the board at its Dec. 9 meeting. ‘We don’t see anything right now…

Friant-Kern Canal

Friant-Kern Canal fix gets first infusion of state money

March 24, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The state gave its first shot of cash – $29.8 million – toward fixing the sagging Friant-Kern Canal on Thursday. Another $7.4 million could be added to the pot once the Friant Water Authority, which operates the canal, secures federal funding it is seeking. That would bring this year’s full contribution from the state Department…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal

Federal water allocation of 0% to 15% too skimpy, contractors say

February 23, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The Bureau of Reclamation announced its 2022 water allocations for the Central Valley Project (CVP) on Wednesday. The CVP is a more than 400-mile network of federal canals and dams that transport water to farms and towns throughout the valley. CVP contractors south of the Delta will receive no water, except for a couple specific…

Friant-Kern Canal

VIDEO: Fix for one section of the sinking Friant-Kern Canal gets underway

January 26, 2022

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the banks of the Friant-Kern Canal on Tuesday, to celebrate the start of construction to repair a portion of the sinking canal. Leadership from the Bureau of Reclamation, California’s Department of Water Resources and the Friant Water Authority spoke at the event. For decades, farmers in California’s San…

Friant-Kern Canal • Groundwater

Who should pay to fix California’s sunken canals?

December 9, 2021

• by Theo Whitcomb, High Country News

This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), California Health Report, Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, Circle of Blue, Colorado Public Radio, Columbia Insight, The Counter, High Country News, New Mexico In Depth and SJV Water. The project was made possible by a grant from the Water Foundation…

Friant-Kern Canal

State money for canal fixes set to start flowing

November 30, 2021

• by Lois Henry

The state Department of Water Resources opened the spigot Tuesday on the first $100 million, of $200 million, budgeted over the next two fiscal years to fix several key canals that have sunk because of groundwater pumping. Subsidence has reduced carrying capacity in the canals from 15% up to 60% in the Friant-Kern Canal, which…

Drought • Friant-Kern Canal • Rivers

Endangered salmon program waiting, watching for possible call on Millertion water

July 21, 2021

• by Lois Henry

As the summer grinds on, farms, towns and a critical native salmon restoration program that all rely on water from Millerton Lake near Fresno continue to hope their water won’t be needed to fulfill irrigation contracts further up the San Joaquin Valley. But in this parched year, nothing is certain. If water is required out…

Friant-Kern Canal

State ponies up $100 million toward $2.35 billion repair bill for major canals

July 16, 2021

• by Lois Henry

Several of the state’s key canals will get a sprinkle of state money this year and next toward fixing more than $2 billion in damage caused by sinking land from excessive groundwater pumping. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a massive budget “trailer” bill, which authorizes actual funding for programs and services outlined in the…

Drought • Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal

No cut to Friant water users – so far

June 3, 2021

• by Lois Henry

Though questions remain about whether San Joaquin Valley towns and farms that rely on water from Millerton Lake could be cut to zero, as they were in the last drought, water managers are moving ahead as if that won’t happen. In 2014 and 2015, the federal Bureau of Reclamation wasn’t able to get enough water…

NEWS

Damage from “severe breach” of Friant-Kern Canal construction at Deer Creek difficult to assess

Friant-Kern Canal fix on schedule; water quality guidelines discussed

Friant-Kern Canal fix gets first infusion of state money

Federal water allocation of 0% to 15% too skimpy, contractors say

VIDEO: Fix for one section of the sinking Friant-Kern Canal gets underway

Who should pay to fix California’s sunken canals?

State money for canal fixes set to start flowing

Endangered salmon program waiting, watching for possible call on Millertion water

State ponies up $100 million toward $2.35 billion repair bill for major canals

No cut to Friant water users – so far

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