Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project (MRCCP)
The Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project (MRCCP) is a major infrastructure effort led by Friant Water Authority in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to restore canal capacity lost to decades of land subsidence. The project focuses on approximately 33 miles of the Friant-Kern Canal that have experienced significant reductions in water-carrying capacity, affecting water deliveries throughout the eastern San Joaquin Valley.
Through canal improvements, realignment, and modernization of key infrastructure, the project will restore the canal's original design capacity and improve operational reliability. Once complete, the MRCCP will strengthen water delivery reliability, support groundwater recharge, enhance drought resilience, and help ensure a sustainable water future for the farms, communities, and environment served by the Friant Division.
Phase 1
Phase 1 of the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project focused on restoring a critical 10-mile segment of the Friant-Kern Canal that had lost more than 60 percent of its original capacity due to land subsidence. Completed in 2024, the project reconstructed and enlarged portions of the canal between Tulare and Kern counties, restoring the canal's ability to efficiently convey water to Friant contractors, groundwater recharge facilities, and local communities.
As the first completed phase of the larger 33-mile MRCCP effort, Phase 1 represents a significant milestone in improving water delivery reliability, supporting groundwater sustainability, and strengthening drought resilience throughout the eastern San Joaquin Valley.
Completed Phase 1 of the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project. Aerial imagery courtesy of Stantec.
Phase 1 Pump Stations Project
As part of the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project, Friant Water Authority and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are advancing the replacement of 5 aging pump stations along the realigned canal; the remaining 8 will be replaced in Phase 2. The new pump stations will replace existing facilities in-kind, maintaining current delivery capacities while improving operational reliability and efficiency for Friant contractors and local water districts.
By replacing the originally planned delivery pools with new pump stations, the project will bring the pump stations back to their originally designed capacity, providing a more reliable and sustainable system for delivering water from the restored canal to existing distribution networks.
The replacement pump stations are located throughout the Middle Reach project area and are designed to support long-term water delivery needs while complementing the canal capacity improvements achieved through the larger MRCCP effort.
The Phase 1 Pump Stations Project includes 13 replacement pump stations strategically located throughout the Middle Reach project area to support reliable water deliveries to Friant contractors and local water districts.
Project Information
Friant Water Authority and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation completed certification of the Project's Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 2020. Friant Water Authority serves as the CEQA lead agency, while Reclamation serves as the NEPA lead agency. Since certification of the EIS/EIR and issuance of Reclamation's Record of Decision, Phase 1 of the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project has been completed, restoring a critical 10-mile section of the Friant-Kern Canal impacted by land subsidence.
The Project has been segmented into phases to restore capacity along approximately 33 miles of the Friant-Kern Canal. As part of the approved project, the Final EIS/EIR evaluated the construction of delivery pool turnouts to maintain water deliveries along the realigned canal segment. Since that time, project plans have evolved to include the replacement of 13 aging pump stations within the project area, improving long-term operational reliability while maintaining existing delivery capabilities for Friant contractors and local water districts.
Looking Ahead: Phase 2A
As work continues on the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project, Friant Water Authority is preparing to advance Phase 2A, which includes approximately 2.6 miles of canal improvements and three road siphons. The project is expected to be advertised for construction bids in the coming weeks.
Phase 2A represents the next step in restoring capacity lost to land subsidence and continuing investments in the long-term reliability of the Friant-Kern Canal for the farms, communities, and groundwater recharge projects that depend on it.
The remainder of Phase 2 will be constructed as additional funding becomes available. Friant Water Authority continues to work with state and federal partners to secure the resources needed to complete future phases of the project and fully restore capacity throughout the Middle Reach of the Friant-Kern Canal.
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 Phase 1 Pump Stations EIR Addendum - May 25, 2026
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
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:
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
Segment Maps: FKC Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project (Version: 12/18/19)