Statement on Passage of the WIIN Act

For Immediate Release:

December 10, 2016

Lindsay, Calif. –

The Friant Water Authority (FWA) and Friant North Authority (FNA) jointly released the following statement on passage by Congress of California drought relief provisions as part of the larger Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN) (S. 612):

Jason Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of the Friant Water Authority:

“Passage of the WIIN Act represents critical and timely step toward addressing the acute water problems facing us locally in the droughtstricken areas of California, and important movement toward modernizing our water infrastructure nationally. Although more must be done on this issue, under the circumstances we consider the actions mandated in the WIIN Act an important beginning in our efforts to develop a comprehensive, long‐term solution to address some of California’s persistent water challenges.

We greatly appreciate the efforts of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senator Dianne Feinstein and the Members of the Central Valley Delegation and their staffs, all of whom have worked tirelessly over the past three years to improve the flexibility and operations of our water system during this extreme drought. There is still more to be done, but the provisions approved by Congress will ensure that we’ll be able to capture desperately needed water from the coming winter storms. And facing a fifth year of drought, the communities and farms of the San Joaquin Valley are truly desperate for water. We in the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project offer our gratitude and congratulations to the Members of the California delegation who have worked so hard to respond to the needs of their constituents and all Californians. We look forward to working with them, the new Administration, and the incoming Members in 2017 to develop comprehensive, long‐term solutions to this persistent challenge and to finish the job we began this year.”

David Orth, Executive Officer of the Friant North Authority:

“The California water provisions of the WIIN Act are the product of hard‐fought bipartisan effort. We spent nearly three years working with Members in both houses, officials in both State and Federal administrations, and the White House to develop effective compromise legislation that would be broadly acceptable to all. In the process, we each gave up ground but came to an agreement that, though modest, will truly help us in the short term this winter.

Contrary to many claims, the legislative language will not amend or damage the Endangered Species Act. All actions authorized will be carried out only if they do not harm sensitive species. The legislation also includes some very important requirements for use of best available science in agency decision‐making, and increased transparency for the forthcoming consultation with agencies on long‐term federal andstate water operations.”

Contact:
Alexandra Biering
916-628-0431
abiering@friantwater.org

FWA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2004 by a majority of the water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. Its primary purposes are to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to serve the information and representation needs of its member agencies.

Friant Water Authority and Friant North Authority Sign Memorandum of Agreement

New Arrangement Unites a Majority of the Friant Division on Common Issues

For Immediate Release:

July 29, 2016

Lindsay, Calif. – The Friant Water Authority (FWA) and Friant North Authority (FNA) this week signed an agreement that sets forth a cooperative path forward for the two organizations. 

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) finalized July 26 establishes a number of areas in which FWA and FNA intend to work together and share resources on common issues that affect the water supply of the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. These areas include legislative and regulatory affairs, communications, and water operations and technical analysis, and other mutual issues that arise. 

“The MOA is a formal recognition of how important unity is within the Friant Division to achieve our shared goals,” said FWA CEO Jason Phillips. “This is a highly effective and cost-efficient way for our growers and cities to have their interests represented and looked after, which is something they deserve to have.” 

“Our water users need us to work together with a unified voice to protect Friant Division water supplies,” said FNA Executive Officer Dave Orth. “FNA will continue to be a tireless advocate for our farmers in the northern portion of the Friant Division, but when it comes to the critical issues and challenges in California water – the Delta, weathering the historic drought, and working with other water users – Friant’s interests are one.” 

FWA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2004 by a majority of the water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. Its primary purposes are to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to serve the information and representation needs of its member agencies. FNA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2015 by certain water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project to jointly advance common interests and objectives with respect to their Friant Division water supplies.

Contact:
Alexandra Biering
916-628-0431
abiering@friantwater.org

FWA is a joint-powers authority formed in 2004 by a majority of the water agencies receiving water from the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. Its primary purposes are to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to serve the information and representation needs of its member agencies.

Friant Division Receives First Water Allocation Since 2013

March 18, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information, Please Contact:
STEVE OTTEMOELLER, WATER RESOURCES MANAGER, FRIANT WATER AUTHORITY
Office: (559) 562-6305

LINDSAY, California

Friant Water Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Jason Phillips reported today that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is providing the Friant Division its first water allocation from the San Joaquin River since 2013.

“We are very pleased to know we will be receiving surface water from Millerton Lake this year, our first water allocation since 2013,” said Phillips. “Friant Water Authority staff have worked tirelessly with other Friant Division representatives and Reclamation to make this initial allocation a reality. Continuing this close collaboration and partnership with Reclamation now and in the future will result in better outcomes for the Friant Division. We look forward to seeing water flowing in the Friant-Kern Canal once again.”

This initial allocation is for 240,000 acre-feet of Class 1 water and an additional 100,000 acre-feet of water that must be evacuated from Millerton lake in the near term to avert flood control concerns. A subsequent allocation is expected in the near future. Reclamation officials are unable to completely allocate the water that would normally be made available to the Friant Division because they want to ensure sufficient water is present in the watershed to meet the demands of the downstream senior water rights holders. Those senior water rights holders are normally supplied with water pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But even with significant precipitation in the northern part of California, and with some dams making flood control releases, pumping sufficient amounts of water from the Delta to meet the senior water rights holders on the San Joaquin River may not be possible due to flow and pumping restrictions in the Delta meant to protect endangered species. “Pumping from the Delta has been getting more restrictive, yet the populations of the species are still crashing,” said Phillips. “We could be facing this problem annually if a better solution is not identified soon.”

Severe drought has had a strangle-hold on California since 2012. While the impacts of the drought have been felt almost everywhere in California, it has been especially painful in the Friant Division. “Much
of the Friant Division is planted in permanent crops,” Phillips observed. “Many orchards were leveled due to lack of sufficient water in 2014 and 2015 when there was no allocation of surface water. In addition, when irrigation water is applied to crops, underground aquifers are replenished. Without such water over the past two years, some aquifers were drawn down to the level where domestic wells failed. This is what happened in the East Porterville area, where a number of domestic wells went dry.”

“We will continue to work with Reclamation and the other Friant Division interests to supplement this initial allocation as the water year hydrology develops,” Phillips said. “The growers in the Friant Division need to know as soon as possible how much water will be available this year so they can make planting and other business decisions. We greatly appreciate the cooperation of Reclamation officials, who are doing everything they can to expedite the water allocations.”

The Friant Water Authority operates and maintains the Friant-Kern Canal, a conveyance feature of the Central Valley Project. The Authority consists of 13 water purveyors. The Friant Service area includes approximately one million acres and 15,000 mostly small family farms on the east side of the southern San Joaquin Valley (Merced. Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties). Friant Division water supplies are also relied upon by several cities and towns, including the City of Fresno, as a major portion of their municipal and industrial water supplies.