The Bureau of Reclamation announced its initial 2021 water supply allocation for Central Valley Project contractors on Tuesday. Agricultural water service contractors south of the Delta are allocated 5% of their contract supply. “Although we had a couple of precipitation-packed storms in January and early February, we are still well...
Proposed Agreement Could Boost Funds To Fix Friant-Kern Canal
In what was hailed as a “landmark agreement,” farmers in an area of southern Tulare County blamed for sinking the Friant-Kern Canal from excessive groundwater pumping will chip in a hefty amount to help pay for a fix. How hefty could be decided by their payment choice. A longer-term payment...
Could ‘Angel Investors’ Buy a Piece of Friant-Kern Canal?
An investor funding proposal that could substantially increase the Friant-Kern Canal’s historic flow capacity is gaining interest among the Friant Water Authority’s member districts. In theory, that investor money could bump the amount of water that has historically flowed down the canal on the Central Valley’s eastern flank by up...
Temperance Flat Dam Put on the Shelf Indefinitely
An investment analysis that looked at how much it would cost water users to build and operate the proposed Temperance Flat Dam northeast of Fresno without government funding was finished earlier this year and quietly passed among water districts, which just as quietly asked the federal government to shelve work...
CVP Growers Get 5% Boost in Irrigation Water
A wet April enabled the Bureau of Reclamation to bump irrigation deliveries to west-side Central Valley Project growers by 5% to 20% of their contracts, the federal agency said Tuesday. In addition, Friant Division growers saw their Class 1 allocations also expand by 5% to 60% of their contract amounts....
Thanks to Storm, Fresno Rainfall Climbs to 70% of Normal
Monday's storm dropped a quarter-inch of rain on Fresno, bringing the seasonal total to 70% of normal. It's been a good comeback in precipitation for farmers and others reliant on the ag economy after a bone-dry February. Reclamation Doubles Friant Allocation to 40% The good news continued Monday as the...
Westlands Says 15% Water Allocation Is 'Good News' in Dry Year
Despite President Donald Trump's highly publicized signing of a memo last week directing more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers, the Bureau of Reclamation's initial allocations announced Tuesday more closely reflected the below-normal Sierra snowpack and scant winter rain. Farmers in the Friant Division will receive 20% of their Central...
Extra $11M Coming for Friant-Kern Canal Repairs
Repair work on the Friant-Kern Canal is getting $11 million in new federal funding, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday. The funds are coming from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. They are in addition to $2.35 million that Congress designated to fix the canal's sinking and leaking sections. "Restoring...
State Thanks 'Robust' Storms for Higher Water Allocation
Citing the winter's "robust" storms and resulting above-average snowpack, California's Department of Water Resources announced Thursday it will slightly raise the allocation for the State Water Project. The increase from 70% to 75% is the final allocation level for the calendar year, and marks a dramatic increase since the water...
Feds Raise Water Allocations for Farmers. Westlands Isn’t Impressed.
Citing the latest storms sweeping through California, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation approved a slight increase in water allocation to westside farmers. The agency that provides water to those farmers says it's still not enough. Allocations for Central Valley Project South-of-Delta agricultural use were increased from 65% to 70%, the...