Central Valley water projects awarded $540 million in federal funds
The Department of the Interior yesterday announced $540 million in investments for critical water infrastructure projects in California, most of which will come to the Central Valley. The funds will go to support improvements to major water conveyance systems and storage projects that serve farms, communities and businesses.
The funds, secured through the Working Families Tax Cut, will restore capacity, strengthen reliability, and improve ability to capture and deliver water supplies, according to Congressman David Valadao (CA-22). The funding represents “the most significant water investment California has ever seen,” he said.
Valadao, along with Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) and other California lawmakers, have lobbied for the past year on the initiative.
“Water is the lifeblood of the Central Valley, and today’s announcement marks a monumental investment in securing its future,” Fong said. “These are not just upgrades — they are transformative investments that will modernize how water moves across our state.”
The Delta-Mendota Canal will receive $235 million, the largest allocation from the legislation. Funding will support rehabilitation of the upper canal, including raising canal embankments, repairing check structures and advancing potential construction of a new concrete-lined canal segment.
“This investment marks an important step toward restoring the capacity and performance of the Delta-Mendota Canal, a critical component of the Central Valley Project,” said Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority.
The Friant-Kern Canal will receive $200 million to address subsidence and restore capacity.
Johnny Amaral, CEO of the Friant Water Authority, said the investment “will leave a lasting imprint on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley for generations.”
Other investments include $50 million to address subsidence issues affecting water delivery reliability for the San Luis Canal, and $15 million to increase flow rates and improve system performance at the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority pumping plant.
An additional $40 million will support planning and preconstruction activities associated with raising Shasta Dam, which will increase water storage capacity by approximately 634,000 acre-feet. That volume of water is enough to supply about 2.5 million people for a year, raising the existing dam by more than 18 feet.
Combined with favorable hydrologic conditions, the funding effort has enabled the Bureau of Reclamation to deliver more than 200,000 acre-feet of additional water to the Central Valley Project by streamlining operations and capturing storm flows that historically could not be stored.
It is expected that the canal improvement projects will break ground within the year.
For more updates on Fresno County development and business initiatives, stay connected with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
Photo by Matt Hardy on Unsplash
