Replacement Central Valley canal threatened by groundwater extraction
The land had been sinking so fast for so long that the canal was failing, so they built an entire new canal, but now that’s sinking as well. It’s a dramatic reminder that after two good years, California’s water challenges still run deep. The Friant-Kern Canal, which runs along the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, and it is the lifeline for many farmers and communities in that region. The system starts at Millerton Lake, and from there, it runs 152 miles to the south, powered entirely by gravity. But gravity means going downhill and that has gotten complicated. Decades of groundwater pumping have caused the valley floor to sink, and the canal with it. KPIX first toured the site back in August of 2022. The fix is a duplicate canal built right along side the old one, only higher, so the water can still flow downhill.
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