- The federal government is investing $200 million to upgrade the Friant-Kern Canal pump stations.
- The first phase will replace five aging pump stations.
- The full project will modernize 13 pump stations.
- The canal serves farms and communities across four California counties.
- Construction is expected to continue into 2027.
Friday, October 2, 2026 — The Bureau of Reclamation and Friant Water Authority broke ground October 1 on a major project to replace aging pump stations along California’s Friant-Kern Canal.
The Department of the Interior is investing $200 million in the project, intended to make water deliveries more reliable for farms, communities, and businesses throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
The work follows the Bureau of Reclamation’s recent Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project Phase 1, another effort to improve the canal’s performance.
Five Pump Stations First, 13 Overall.
The first phase will replace five aging pump stations. A second phase will bring the total to 13 modernized stations.
Many of the existing stations have operated for decades. According to the Bureau of Reclamation
, their age has led to greater maintenance needs, interruptions in operations, and less ability to respond to changing water conditions.
The new equipment will include updated pumps, motors and control systems. Reclamation said those improvements are expected to reduce emergency maintenance costs, use less energy and help operators better manage changing water supplies and demands.
“Reliable water depends on reliable infrastructure, and this project delivers exactly that,” Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Dustin Sherer said at the groundbreaking.
Sherer said replacing outdated pumps and controls with modern, energy-efficient equipment will improve the stability of water deliveries serving more than 1 million acres of farmland.
A Major Water Route Through the San Joaquin Valley.
The Friant-Kern Canal carries water from Millerton Lake near Fresno to farms and communities in Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.
The canal is part of the federal Central Valley Project and plays an important role in moving water through the Friant Division.
According to Reclamation, the pump station improvements will support agricultural and municipal water supplies, regional jobs and local economies. The project is also expected to improve Southern California’s groundwater banking portfolio.
Federal officials said the project will support about 250,000 residents in underserved communities and improve the reliability of drinking water supplies.
“This project represents one of the largest Western water infrastructure modernization efforts underway today,” Reclamation Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels said.
Nickels said the improvements are expected to strengthen drought resilience, support groundwater sustainability and improve the reliability of water supplies for communities and agriculture throughout the valley.
Construction Continues Into 2027.
Design, permitting and environmental compliance work is underway. Construction is expected to continue into 2027.
Federal, state and local officials joined farmers, water managers and community leaders for the October 1 groundbreaking.
The Bureau of Reclamation says the project is funded through President Donald J. Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut.
Pictured: Friant Kern Canal, Bureau of Reclamation, June 2024
