Reclamation awards $93M for Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Bypass Project

WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a major construction contract for the Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Bypass Project. The $93 million award to NW Construction, Inc. marks a significant milestone in the continued effort to improve fish passage required under the 2006 San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement and the 2009 San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act.

"The Settlement and Settlement Act represent a positive partnership between water users, environmental groups, the federal government, and the State of California," said Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. "We look forward to these relationships advancing the cause of multi-benefit programs on the San Joaquin River and beyond."

The existing Sack Dam is an in-stream barrier to migrating salmonids in the San Joaquin River. To complete their lifecycle, once hatched in the river, salmon make their way to the ocean for several years before returning to their natal river to spawn and start the lifecycle anew. To meet the terms of the Settlement, Reclamation will construct a fish bypass channel around the existing Sack Dam and install a fish screen to prevent anadromous fish species from straying into the gravity-fed Arroyo Canal.

"This project will allow spring-run Chinook salmon and other salmonids to access upstream sections of the river to complete their lifecycle, while still allowing water users to continue lawful diversions," said Donald E. Portz, Ph.D., program manager for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in September 2025 and will take approximately three years to complete.

For more information about the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and the Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Passage Project, visit https://www.restoresjr.net.