October 12, 2021 - Last Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Friant Water Authority selected a contractor to repair subsidence along a 10-mile segment of the Friant-Kern Canal.  This subsidence has resulted in about a 50% reduction in capacity of the canal, curtailing its ability to deliver water to families, farms, and communities along the eastern side of California’s Central Valley, including in Tulare County and Kern County. This announcement was made possible by Section 4007 of the bipartisan Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which Congressman McCarthy shepherded through Congress in 2016, and the $210.5 million in Federal funding Congressman McCarthy secured between Fiscal Years 2018 and 2021 specifically for repairing subsidence along the Friant-Kern Canal. 

Congressman McCarthy issued the following statement:

“The Friant-Kern Canal provides critical water to families and communities in Tulare County and Kern County.  This water also supports tens of thousands of acres of productive farmland in the Central Valley.  This announcement marks another key step forward to repairing this canal so, when Mother Nature once again blesses our state with rain and snow, this water can be moved quickly and efficiently to our communities and agricultural producers who need it.  I look forward to the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project advancing expeditiously.” 

Background

• On October 7, 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Friant Water Authority announced a $177 million contract award to Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture to make repairs to subsidence along a 10-mile stretch of the Friant-Kern Canal. 
• In 2016, the bipartisan Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which was championed by McCarthy, was signed into law. Section 4007 of the law created a process by which water infrastructure projects, like the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project, can be authorized by Congress and provided Federal funds of up to 50% of total project costs. 
• Between Fiscal Year 2018 and Fiscal year 2021, Congressman McCarthy secured $210,550,000 to repair subsidence on the Friant-Kern Canal at the request the U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Some portions of the Friant-Kern Canal have subsided (up to 2 feet in some places) reducing the canal’s capacity to deliver water by about 50% to the Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District, Kern Tulare Water District, Sausalito Irrigation District, Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District, South San Joaquin Municipal Utility District, Tea Pot Dome Water District, and Terra Bella Irrigation District.
• Built between 1939 and 1944, the Friant-Kern Canal is 152 miles long, delivering water from Millerton Lake to the eastern side of the Central Valley for irrigation and conjunctive use purposes, and terminates near Bakersfield, California.
  Source: Congressman Kevin McCarthy

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  Reclamation awards construction contract for first phase of Friant Kern Canal repairs
  
  

  Construction to restore critical water supply infrastructure for San Joaquin Valley to begin by year's end

  Sacramento, Calif. - Last Thursday, the Bureau of Reclamation and Friant Water Authority announced the selection of a construction contractor to begin work on the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project.

  Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture, based in Walnut Creek, was awarded a $177 million contract to perform the construction aspects of the first phase of work to repair the Friant-Kern Canal along a portion of the 33-mile stretch. This portion of the canal has lost more than half of its capacity due to subsidence a sinking of the earth from groundwater extraction.

  The total project is estimated to cost around $500 million and will eventually restore water delivery to over one million acres of farmland and 250,000 residents in California's eastern San Joaquin Valley.

  "Repairing this portion of the Friant-Kern Canal provides significant improvement for the canal's conveyance capacity and is a key priority for Reclamation and the Central Valley Project," said Reclamation Regional Director Ernest Conant. " We are looking forward to working with FWA and Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture to have shovels in the ground by the end of the year a significant step to providing reliable water supplies to farms and communities throughout the eastern San Joaquin Valley.

  Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture was selected through a best-value competitive bid process overseen and managed by Reclamation throughout the summer. Reclamation anticipates a Notice To Proceed for the contractor in November with resulting construction activity beginning by year's end.  Although the contract will be managed by Reclamation, FWA and Reclamation will work jointly with Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture to implement construction of the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project. The work under this contract includes 10 miles of new canal with eight concrete inverted siphons below various structures and creeks along with various concrete turnout structures, and other miscellaneous work.  

  After more than four years of work to assess the canal's problems, develop designs to fix it, and assemble an initial funding and financing package, we are thrilled to take this enormous step toward restoring critical water deliveries that support the San Joaquin Valley's businesses, communities, and farms, said Friant Water Authority Chief Executive Officer, Jason Phillips. FWA looks forward to launching this phase of work with our partners at Reclamation and Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture.

  Background:
  The Friant-Kern Canal delivers water to more than one million acres of highly productive farmland and 250,000 residents. The canal, part of the Central Valley Project's Friant Division, is owned by the federal government but FWA and its predecessor agency have operated, maintained, and repaired it under contract with Reclamation since 1986. The canal's diminished capacity has resulted in up to 300,000 acre-feet of reduced water deliveries in certain water years with effects most prominent in the middle reach of the canal (milepost 88 to milepost 121). The Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project would restore capacity from the current estimated 1,600 cubic-feet-per-second to the original 4,000 cubic-feet-per-second in the most critical area near the Deer Creek check structure (milepost 103). Reclamation signed the Record of Decision for the project in November 2020.
  Source: Bureau of Reclamation