News Release Archive

Reminder: Public meeting for Friant-Kern Canal repair

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, in Porterville

Media Contact: Jeff Hawk, 916-978-5100 (O) 916-204-2348 (C), jhawk@usbr.gov

For Release: December 17, 2019

Who: Bureau of Reclamation and Friant Water Authority

What: A public scoping meeting to solicit input regarding the project Notice of Intent

When: Dec. 18. 2019, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Where: U.S. Forest Service Office, 1839 S. Newcomb St. Porterville, CA

Why: A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, for the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project, was published in the Federal Register Dec. 3, 2019. Reclamation, the lead federal agency, is seeking comments for 30 days following publication. As part of the scoping process, Reclamation will release an Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (EA/IS).

How: The public is invited to attend the meeting to learn more about proposed project alternatives and to provide input.

Background: Reclamation is seeking public input about its plan to restore a subsidence-impacted, 33-mile stretch of the Friant-Kern Canal that has lost over half of its original designed and built capacity to subsidence – a sinking of the earth from groundwater extraction. The canal, located in California’s eastern San Joaquin Valley, delivers water to over 1 million acres of highly productive farmland and over 250,000 residents. The Friant-Kern Canal Subsidence and Capacity Correction Project would restore capacity from the current estimated 1,900 cubic-feet-per-second to the original 4,000 cfs in the most critical area near the Dear Creek Check Structure (milepost 103). The Friant Water Authority, the non-federal operating entity for the canal, is supporting the design and feasibility assessment of the proposed project and is working with Reclamation to meet state and federal environmental law requirements.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.