The Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project (Project) is a joint effort of Friant Water Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). The Project seeks to address needed repairs to 33 miles of the 152-mile-long Friant-Kern Canal, which has lost 60% of its design capacity due to land subsidence caused by groundwater overdraft conditions that occurred during California’s 2011-2019 drought. See the Subsidence page for additional information and a historical overview of the conditions that have affected the Friant-Kern Canal, a cornerstone facility of the Federal Central Valley Project.

 

Project Information

Friant Water Authority and Reclamation completed certification of the Project’s Environmental Impact Statement and Report (EIS/R) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in late 2020. The Authority is serving as the CEQA lead agency and Reclamation is serving as the NEPA lead agency. Since certification of the CEQA document by the Authority and Reclamation’s release of the Record of Decision under NEPA, the agencies completed final designs of Phase 1 of the Project and awarded a contract for construction of the Project. Click HERE or below to view a news release announcing the contract award. The Project has been segmented into phases, with Phase 1 focused on restoring conveyance capacity to a 10-mile section of the canal starting downstream of the existing Avenue 136 bridge and downstream of a farm bridge south of Avenue 64. Land subsidence and other factors has caused this segment of the canal to lose more than 60 percent of its original design capacity.  


Project Document Archive

Project Financial Information

Contract Between the U.S. and FWA for the Repayment of Extraordinary Maintenance Costs - Sept. 23, 2021

Final EIS/R and Related Material

Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project Final EIS/R - Sept. 18, 2020

Federal Register Notice of Availability - Sept. 18, 2020

Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan - Appendix M

CEQA Notice of Determination

Copies of the Final EIS/R appendices are available at:

Reclamation: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=41341

Presentation to Executive Committee:

Final Environmental Impact Report and presentation of Board Action Items for upcoming October 22nd Board Meeting

Public Draft EIS/R

Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project Public Draft EIS/R - May 2020

Associated appendices available for download at:

CEQA Net: https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2019120007/3

Reclamation: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=41341

Link: CEQA Notice of Completion & Environmental Documentation

Link: NEPA Notice of Availability


Public Meeting Archive

Public Draft EIS/R Online Meeting (Webinar) - June 8, 2020
Downloads:

Project Scoping Meeting - Dec. 18, 2019
Place: US Forest Service Sequoia National Forest Headquarters, 1839 S. Newcomb St., Porterville, CA.
Downloads:

Scoping Meeting Materials

Link: Bureau of Reclamation Notice of Intent