SCH Number 1998081101

Project Info

Title

MAIN INTAKE CANAL LINING PROJECT

Description

The Districtencompasses approximately 70,000 acres. Out of this total, approximately 62,000 acres are devoted to irrigated agriculture. The District uses the Main Intake Canal to convey surface water supplies from the Central Valley Project (Friant-Kern Canal) and the Kaweah River and its tributaries into the District. Surface water supplies conveyed into the District via the Main Intake Canal are used either to recharge the groundwater aquifer beneath the District, or for irrigation by farmers within the District. On average, the District approximately 150,000 acre-feet of water into the District via the Main Intake Canal each year. The canal is unlined. As a result, approximately 10% of the surface water conveyed through the canal "leaks" from the bottom of the canal before the water reaches the District. The current capacity of the canal is 800 cubic feet per second ("cfs"). The District proposes to line the canal with concrete in order to prevent these seepage losses. Lining the canal would prevent 90 percent of the seepage that occurs outside of the District. The lined canal would continue to seep, but the seepage rate would be reduced from 10% to 1% of the water conveyed through the canal. The project would thus enable the District to reduce conveyance losses from seepage outside of the District. The project would also increase the capacity of the canal to 1,100 cfs, and thus would enable the District to convey more water into the District during the rainy season for groundwater recharge purposes.

2 documents in project