Community Corner
Replacement Central Valley Canal Threatened By Groundwater Extraction
The new Friant-Kern canal will go into service in the next few weeks, and it already faces the very same problem as the last one.
April 19, 2024
The land had been sinking so fast for so long that the canal was failing, so they built an entire new canal, but now that's sinking as well. It's a dramatic reminder that after two good years, California's water challenges still run deep.
Find out what's happening in Fresnofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Friant-Kern Canal, which runs along the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, and it is the lifeline for many farmers and communities in that region. The system starts at Millerton Lake, and from there, it runs 152 miles to the south, powered entirely by gravity. But gravity means going downhill and that has gotten complicated. Decades of groundwater pumping have caused the valley floor to sink, and the canal with it.
KPIX first toured the site back in August of 2022, The fix is a duplicate canal built right alongside the old one, only higher, so the water can still flow downhill.
Find out what's happening in Fresnofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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