Major Federal Investment Accelerates Modernization of Friant Kern Canal

PORTERVILLE, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with the Friant Water Authority, today broke ground on Phase 1 of the Friant-Kern Canal Pump Station Replacement Project. This milestone marks an important move toward modernizing the Friant-Kern Canal and improving long-term water reliability for communities, farms and businesses throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

This project represents long-term improvements following Reclamation's recent Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project Phase 1 that improves canal performance.

Funded through President Donald J. Trump's Working Families Tax Cut, the Department of the Interior invested $200 million to upgrade the canal's aging pump stations that are essential to maintaining consistent water deliveries throughout the Friant Division. The project is one of California's largest conveyance modernization efforts aimed at reducing outages, stabilizing operations, and supporting the Central Valley Project's agricultural and economic strength and improving Southern California's groundwater banking portfolio.

"Reliable water depends on reliable infrastructure, and this project delivers exactly that," said Department of the Interior's Deputy Assistant Secretary Dustin Sherer, who attended the groundbreaking. "By modernizing outdated pumps and controls with modern, energy-efficient equipment, we are improving the stability of water deliveries to more than one million acres of farmland benefiting family farms. This investment strengthens local economies, supports regional food production, and ensures dependable water supplies for decades to come."

Phase 1 will replace five aging pump stations, launching a two-phase effort that will ultimately modernize 13 stations critical to moving water through the Friant Division. Many of these stations have been in service for decades, resulting in increased maintenance needs, operational interruptions, and reduced resilience under variable hydrologic conditions. This project will support 250,000 residents in underserved communities and will drive better drinking water reliability for decades to come.

"This project represents one of the largest Western water infrastructure modernization efforts underway today," said Reclamation's Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. "Upgrading these pump stations reinforces a core part of California's water delivery system. These improvements strengthen drought resilience, support groundwater sustainability, and help ensure reliable water supplies for communities and agriculture across the Valley."

The Friant-Kern Canal carries water from Millerton Lake near Fresno to farms and communities across Kern, Tulare, Fresno, and Kings counties. Upgrades to pumps, motors, and control systems will reduce emergency maintenance costs, lower energy consumption, and improve the canal's ability to manage varying inflows and demands. The resulting gains in reliability support regional jobs, local economies, farms and municipal water supplies across the San Joaquin Valley.

Preconstruction activities, including design, permitting, and environmental compliance, are underway, with construction continuing into 2027.

Interior and Reclamation leadership alongside Friant Water Authority joined federal, state, and local officials as well as farmers, water managers, and community leaders at today's ceremony, underscoring the importance of continued partnership and commitment to California's water future.

Learn more: Friant-Kern Canal