Friant Water Authority Board of Directors Moves to Support Water Bond

At their July 27, 2017 meeting, the Board of the Directors passed a resolution in support of the Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018.

If approved by voters, a portion of the measure would appropriate $750,000,000 for a grant to the FWA for water conveyance capital improvements, including restored and increased conveyance capacity to and in the Madera and Friant-Kern canals. This will result in greater groundwater recharge, improved conveyance and utilization of flood waters, and water conservation.

Kent Stephens, Chairman of the FWA, described the difficult reality facing the San Joaquin Valley, “The effects of surface water shortages and drought are still being felt throughout the San Joaquin Valley.   Many farmers made ends meet in the recent drought by shifting heavily to groundwater – which is the type of conjunctive management the Friant system was designed to handle. However, this temporary shift followed decades of water supply reductions from Delta, because of regulatory changes that have shifted all San Joaquin Valley growers heavily over to groundwater. The combination of these conditions has caused significant groundwater overdraft and land subsidence throughout the San Joaquin Valley.“

In the past year, land subsidence has significantly reduced the capacity to move wet-year water from Millerton Lake to groundwater recharge and in-lieu projects throughout the San Joaquin Valley. In places, the Friant-Kern Canal has lost 60% of its original capacity. This large degree of capacity loss puts a tremendous constraint on the movement of flood condition water supplies. With the investment provided for in the bond, significant public benefit can be realized, including avoiding increased unemployment, stabilization of groundwater along the 150-mile length of the Friant-Kern Canal and for those disadvantaged communities that rely on groundwater, and securing a more stable food supply for California. Without this investment, the subsidence will continue to get worse and those local communities, including disadvantaged communities, who largely rely on groundwater to serve their citizens, will continue to suffer adverse effects.

The bond would also provide funding for other actions beneficial to the San Joaquin Valley, including $685 Million for projects and programs that support sustainable groundwater management, and $750 Million to provide disadvantaged communities with clean, safe, affordable, and reliable drinking water.  For a complete summary of the bond measure, visit http://n-h-i.org/programs/water-management-reform/california-water/california-water-bond/.

Contact:
Media@friantwater.org

Chowchilla Water District rejoins Friant Water Authority

Visalia, Calif. – During its July Board of Directors meeting, the Friant Water Authority (FWA) approved the addition of another member district. This followed a vote by the Chowchilla Water District Board of Directors on July 12, 2017 to join FWA as an Associate Member.

During the meeting, the Board approved a membership agreement with Chowchilla Water District (WD). The Chowchilla WD had previously been a member of the Friant Water Users Authority (FWUA), FWA’s predecessor, and Kole Upton, current President of the Chowchilla WD, served as FWUA’s Chairman from 1998 to 2008.  With the addition of Chowchilla WD, all previous FWA districts currently part of the Friant North Authority are represented on the FWA board. The water districts within Friant North Authority will continue to caucus on issues important to farmers in that region. As members of FWA, they add an important voice and give FWA a stronger, more effective voice in representing its members on water resources issues.

Kent Stephens, chairman of the FWA, is pleased by this addition. “The Chowchilla Water District has long played a critical role dealing with the difficult issues facing the Friant Division, and having their voice back will provide tremendous value both to the board and the entire Friant Division”

Kole Upton observed, “The CWD staff and board was impressed by the presentation from Jason Phillips and Jeff Payne during the past few months at CWD and FNA Board meetings. We are impressed with the leadership of the Board of Directors particularly Kent Stephens and Eric Borba. It appears Friant is on the way back to becoming the water leader of the east side of the San Joaquin Valley.”

The membership of FWA is comprised of Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, Chowchilla Water District, City of Fresno, Fresno Irrigation District, Hills Valley Irrigation District, Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, Kern-Tulare Water District, Lindmore Irrigation District, Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District, Madera Irrigation District, Orange Cove Irrigation District, Porterville Irrigation District, Saucelito Irrigation District, Terra Bella Irrigation District, and Tulare Irrigation District.

Contact:
Media@friantwater.org

Friant Water Authority Takes Action to Support Temperance Flat

An Action Plan for the Future of Temperance Flat

In an action designed to expedite the steps necessary to approve and initiate the construction of Temperance Flat Dam, the Friant Water Authority (FWA) Board of Directors approved the creation of special activities agreement to fund work necessary for completing feasibility, engineering and other analysis to help potential investors determine the feasibility of participation. The work is estimated to cost approximately $1 million per year for the next 2 years. This important work will be done in parallel with work FWA has already started to develop appropriate entity that will be required for the implementation of construction and operation of the new reservoir. This entity will be governed by the investing agencies for the project and should be up and operating by the beginning of 2018.

What’s at Stake

Millions of Californians south of the Delta are dependent upon Central Valley Project water to serve their agricultural, municipal, industrial, and environmental needs. Increasing regulatory burden has diminished the capability of the Central Valley Project to consistently meet its authorized project purposes. The reduction in surface water deliveries has resulted in greater dependence upon groundwater, overdraft of aquifers, subsidence that has harmed infrastructure, and additional hardships, especially for rural disadvantaged communities. In addition, full implementation of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will create an untenable water supply situation for many water users.

Recognizing that Temperance Flat Reservoir can contribute to providing relief from these challenges, the FWA is collaborating with the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority to develop equitable, mutually beneficial solutions to help address the diminishing water supplies and regulatory burdens facing our water users, and potentially others Statewide.  Also of critical importance, FWA is ensuring that the project would be implemented in a manner that fully protects water rights and contract deliveries for existing water users within the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project.

Working with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation the FWA and its partners expect to develop an operations plan and Proposition 1 Chapter 8 storage grant application. The operations plan would build upon previous Reclamation studies, and provide clarity to how any investor – including the State of California – will benefit from new investments in storage on the San Joaquin River.

Contact:
Media@friantwater.org