October 26, 2017 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation has finalized an environmental analysis of a proposal to replace or relocate irrigation pipelines in the Central Valley to accommodate guideways for the Merced to Fresno section of California’s High Speed Rail Project.

Reclamation’s Environmental Assessment concluded that moving the irrigation laterals and other associated actions for the rail project will not have significant impacts to resources or people. The actual work of moving laterals would be completed during the non-irrigation season so water users would not be affected.

The California High-Speed Train Project is being constructed by the California High Speed Rail Authority through a series of design-build contracts. The first significant construction contract includes replacing and relocating irrigation facilities along a 32-mile stretch between Avenue 19 in Madera County to East American Avenue in Fresno County. The project was analyzed in the 2012 Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report: Merced to Fresno prepared by the High Speed Rail Authority and the Federal Railroad Administration. Construction of the project in Madera County began in 2016.

Reclamation’s EA and FONSI are tiered to the 2012 EIS/EIR. They are available at: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=30161.
Source: USBR