California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
The California Department of Water Resources has announced a new $100 million funding program intended to restore capacity to portions of the California Aqueduct, San Luis Canal, Delta-Mendota Canal, and Friant-Kern Canal.
“Fixing these canals is an important foundational piece to ensure a reliable and climate resilient water supply for California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “It enables us to move water during very wet conditions, which will be essential to adapting to more extreme weather. Restoring capacity in our existing infrastructure provides a critical link in diversifying water supplies by supporting groundwater replenishment throughout the Central Valley and water recycling projects in Southern California. It’s a prudent investment in our water future.”
The program will provide up to $37 million to the California Aqueduct and San Luis Canal, $39.2 million for the Friant-Kern Canal, and $23.8 million for the Delta-Mendota Canal in the first year. The funds will be used for planning, permitting, design, and construction of near-term subsidence rehabilitation projects.
The four canals collectively deliver water to more than 29 million people, 2.9 million acres of farmland, and 130,000 acres of wetlands. The completed projects will restore up to 50 percent of the capacity of the canals over the next 10 years.
