The Trump administration on Tuesday announced nearly $890 million in federal funding for water infrastructure projects in the Western United States, with California receiving about 60% of the funding to repair sinking canals, modernize pumping systems and plan to expand Shasta Dam.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the funding is intended to strengthen water security, improve aging infrastructure and support agriculture and communities that rely on reliable water supplies.
“These investments strengthen our nation’s water security, modernize aging infrastructure and support farmers, communities and industries that rely on reliable water supplies,” Burgum said in a statement.
Much of California’s funding has focused on canals in the San Joaquin Valley, which have been damaged by decades of land subsidence — the gradual sinking of the ground caused primarily by excessive pumping of groundwater.
Which water projects in California are getting funding
According to the Interior Department, California will receive funding for five major projects related to water delivery and storage:
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$235 million for Delta-Mendota Canalis the largest single allocation to repair aging road sections, raise embankments and repair inspection structures. The 116-mile canal supplies water to 1.2 million acres of farmland, wildlife refuges and communities in the San Joaquin Valley and surrounding areas.
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$200 million for Friyankern Canal Damage caused by subsidence continues to be corrected, with parts of the canal reduced by 60% of their capacity.
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$50 million for St. Louis Canal Address reliability issues related to settlement.
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$15 million for Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority pump station to improve traffic and system performance.
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$40 million for Shasta Dam planning and pre-construction workwhich would increase water storage by approximately 634,000 acre feet—enough to supply approximately 2.5 million people for a year.
Interior officials said the projects are aimed at removing “bottlenecks” in California’s water systems that limit the ability to move water during wet years and store water for droughts.
What Subsidence Is—and Why It’s Ruining California’s Canals
Retired U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Michelle Sneed shows the depth of subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley from 1965 to 2018.
Land subsidence occurs when groundwater is withdrawn faster than the aquifer is recharged, causing compaction of underground layers and subsidence of the surface. Scientists say that once compression occurs, much of the damage is permanent.
A recent Stanford University study found that parts of the San Joaquin Valley sank nearly an inch per year between 2006 and 2022, with the most severe subsidence occurring during droughts, when surface water supplies dwindle and farmers rely heavily on groundwater pumping.
The consequences extend far beyond the cracking of the ground.
Settlement is:
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Twisted canals and aqueducts
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Reduced water carrying capacity
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Damage to wells and other infrastructure
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Permanently alter groundwater systems
“The effects of subsidence are severe,” the study’s authors wrote, citing damage to aqueducts, altered flood behavior and long-term changes to aquifers.
Why Friiankern Canal restoration is important
The Frian-Kern Canal, which carries water from the Sierra Nevada to farms and communities in eastern Tulare and Kern counties, has become a textbook example of subsidence damage.
In some areas, the ground beneath the canal has sunk more than 13 feet, forcing the canal to raise and greatly limiting the amount of water it can carry. In wet years, this loss means as much as 300,000 acre-feet of water cannot be transported south.
Related: Falling home prices linked to subsidence in California’s Central Valley
Rehabilitation work starting in 2022 is restoring traffic on a critical 10-mile stretch, but officials said the entire project could cost about $500 million, funded by a mix of federal, state and local funds.
Surface water delivered through canals like the Friant Kern is expected to become increasingly important to farms and small communities as the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act imposes restrictions on water pumping.
Shasta Dam expansion draws renewed attention and opposition
Aerial view of lake water level conditions at Shasta Lake and dam on December 14, 2023 in Shasta County, California. At this time, the reservoir storage capacity is 3,038,265 acre feet (AF), accounting for 67% of the total capacity. Operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, Shasta Dam carries water from the Sacramento River over 35 miles to form lakes and control floods, while providing water for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, wildlife habitat maintenance and power generation.
The funding announcement includes $40 million for planned construction of Shasta Dam, California’s largest reservoir, a long-discussed and highly controversial proposal.
Supporters, including agricultural water districts, argue that expanding the dam will increase drought resilience and help sustain the cold water needs of salmon during hot summer months.
Critics, including environmental groups and members of the Winneman-Wintu Tribe, warn the project could flood sacred sites, destroy salmon habitat and violate California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which protects parts of the McCloud River.
Environmentalists also point to federal estimates suggesting the project would increase water supplies by less than 1 percent annually, raising questions about costs, benefits and ecological trade-offs.
USA TODAY Network’s Visalia Times-Delta and Record Searchlight contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared in the Palm Springs Desert Sun: $540M federal plan aims to sink California waterways
