Friant Water Authority Welcomes Back Fresno Irrigation District and Chowchilla Water District as General Members

TULARE, CA – The Friant Water Authority (FWA) Board of Directors yesterday voted to approve an agreement for Fresno Irrigation District (FID) to join the organization as a general member and an operations and maintenance (O&M) project member. During its January 25 meeting, the FWA Board also approved an agreement for Chowchilla Water District (CWD) to rejoin as a general member.

FID and CWD were among the original members of FWA when it was formed as a joint-powers authority in 2004. In 2015, both districts left FWA to form Friant North Authority, along with Madera Irrigation District and Gravelly Ford Water District. In 2017 FID and CWD joined FWA as a “trial member” and an “associate member,” respectively. CWD is approximately 85,000 acres and holds a Class 1 contract for 55,000 acre-feet and a Class 2 contract for 160,000 acre-feet – some of the largest contracts in the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. At 250,000 acres, FID has one of the biggest footprints in the Friant Division; the district holds a Class 2 contract for 75,000 acre-feet.

“A year ago we agreed to join Friant Water Authority in a trial capacity because we knew the organization had undertaken some welcome changes,” said FID Assistant General Manager Bill Stretch. “Over the past year, we’ve had the chance observe those improvements firsthand, which led us to this decision to rejoin fully.”

“Chowchilla Water District voted last year to rejoin Friant Water Authority because we saw a tremendous improvement in its staff and operations, and we’re confident that the organization will continue to represent its members and work tirelessly to protect the water interests of the valley’s eastside,” said Kole Upton, CWD President.

“As two of the largest Friant Division contractors – both in acreage and water contracts – CWD and FID are critical voices for growers in the valley. We’re pleased to welcome them both back to Friant Water Authority, an organization they helped found nearly 15 years ago,” said FWA Board Chair Kent Stephens.

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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.

Contact: abiering@friantwater.org, 916-628-0431

Friant Water Authority CEO Testifies Before U.S. Senate on Benefits of Transferring Title of Federal Facilities

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Friant Water Authority (FWA) Chief Executive Officer Jason Phillips provided expert testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water and Power. Phillips testified during a hearing to examine the Bureau of Reclamation’s title transfer process.

Phillip’s testimony focused on how transferring title ownership of Federal facilities to non-federal agencies such as FWA could benefit both water users and taxpayers alike. Title transfer of the Friant-Kern Canal – paid for by Friant Division contractors – would provide a critical asset water users could use to secure financial resources for major investments, such as addressing the severe subsidence problem plaguing southern portions of the canal.

“In other words, transferring title of the Friant Kern Canal to the Authority would not and likely could not, change the current operation of the facility, or saddle the Federal taxpayer with the cost of building the Canal – already repaid by Friant water users – or deprive the government of the revenues that the Canal will generate into the future. Instead, with a title transfer, Federal costs would decrease while the Authority’s ability to protect the original Federal investment in the project would increase,” said Phillips.

Phillips urged Congress to introduce legislation that facilitates title transfers in a way that would both safeguard the public and simplify the process, which many non-federal entities consider too burdensome to undertake.

“The problem is that the current title transfer process remains lengthy, overly complex, and costly for the non-federal parties. Time, cost, and uncertainty are powerful disincentives to undertaking a title transfer effort. Congress should act to appropriately focus the scope and implementation of permitting as they are applied to Reclamation title transfers,” said Phillips.

Phillips' written testimony is available here.

An archived video of Phillips' testimony is available at https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2018/1/subcommittee-on-water-and-power-hearing-to-examine-the-bureau-of-reclamation-s-title-transfer-process

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.

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