On March 17, the Department of the Interior announced $889 million in investments for critical water infrastructure projects across the West, funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Specifically, California projects will receive $540 million of the total funding to support improvements to major water conveyance systems and storage projects that serve farms, communities and businesses throughout the Central Valley.
- The Delta-Mendota Canal will receive $235 million, the largest allocation from the legislation. Funding will support rehabilitation of the upper canal, including raising canal embankments, repairing check structures and advancing potential construction of a new concrete-lined canal segment.
- The Friant-Kern Canal will receive $200 million for subsidence correction efforts to repair the canal.
- The San Luis Canal will receive $50 million to address subsidence issues affecting water delivery reliability.
- The Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority pumping plant will receive $15 million to increase flow rates and improve system performance.
- An additional $40 million will support planning and preconstruction activities associated with raising Shasta Dam, which will increase water storage capacity by approximately 634,000 acre-feet. That volume of water is enough to supply about 2.5 million people for a year.
For additional information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate, Eric Will.