The Trump administration announced nearly $890 million in federal funding Tuesday for water infrastructure projects across the Western United States, with California receiving about 60% of the total to repair sinking canals, modernize pumping systems, and plan an expansion of Shasta Dam.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the funding is aimed at strengthening water security, improving aging infrastructure, and supporting agriculture and communities that depend on reliable water deliveries.
“These investments strengthen our nation’s water security, modernize aging infrastructure, and support the farmers, communities, and industries that depend on reliable water supplies,” Burgum said in a statement.
Much of the California funding focuses on canals in the San Joaquin Valley that have been damaged by decades of land subsidence — the gradual sinking of the ground, largely caused by excessive groundwater pumping.
Which California water projects are getting funded
According to the Department of the Interior, California will receive funding for five major projects tied to water conveyance and storage:
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$235 million for the Delta‑Mendota Canal, the largest single allocation, to rehabilitate aging sections, raise embankments and repair check structures. The 116‑mile canal supplies water to 1.2 million acres of farmland, wildlife refuges and communities in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.
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$200 million for the Friant‑Kern Canal to continue correcting damage from subsidence that has reduced parts of the canal’s capacity by as much as 60%.
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$50 million for the San Luis Canal to address subsidence‑related reliability issues.
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$15 million for the Tehama‑Colusa Canal Authority pumping plant to improve flow rates and system performance.
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$40 million for planning and pre‑construction work to raise Shasta Dam, which would increase water storage by about 634,000 acre‑feet — enough water to supply roughly 2.5 million people for a year.
Interior officials said the projects are intended to remove “bottlenecks” in California’s water system that limit the ability to move water during wet years and store it for droughts.
What subsidence is — and why it’s damaging California’s canals
Retired U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Michelle Sneed displays the depth of subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley between 1965 and 2018.
Land subsidence occurs when groundwater is pumped faster than aquifers can recharge, causing underground layers to compact and the surface to sink. Once that compression happens, scientists say much of the damage is permanent.
A recent Stanford University study found parts of the San Joaquin Valley sank nearly an inch per year between 2006 and 2022, with the worst sinking occurring during droughts when surface water deliveries were cut and farmers relied heavily on groundwater pumping.
The consequences go far beyond cracked earth.
Subsidence has:
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Warped canals and aqueducts
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Reduced water‑carrying capacity
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Damaged wells and other infrastructure
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Altered groundwater systems permanently
“The impacts of the subsidence are severe,” the study’s authors wrote, citing damaged aqueducts, modified flood behavior and long‑term changes to aquifers.
Why the Friant‑Kern Canal repairs matter
The Friant‑Kern Canal, which carries Sierra Nevada water to farms and communities in eastern Tulare and Kern counties, has become a textbook example of subsidence damage.
In some areas, the ground beneath the canal sank by more than 13 feet, forcing the canal to be raised and dramatically limiting the amount of water it could carry. During wet years, that loss has meant up to 300,000 acre‑feet of water couldn’t be delivered south.
Related: Sinking home prices linked to sinking ground in California’s Central Valley
Repairs that began in 2022 are restoring flow along a critical 10‑mile stretch, but officials say the full project could cost around $500 million, funded by a mix of federal, state, and local dollars.
With California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act placing limits on pumping, surface water delivered through canals such as Friant‑Kern is expected to become increasingly important for farms and small communities.
Shasta Dam expansion draws renewed attention — and opposition
An aerial view of the lake level conditions at Lake Shasta and the dam in Shasta County, California on December 14, 2023. On this date, the reservoir storage was 3,038,265 acre-feet (AF), 67 percent of the total capacity. Operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, Shasta Dam backs up water from the Sacramento River for more than 35 miles to form the lake and controls flood waters, while supplying water for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, wildlife habitat maintenance and power generation.
The funding announcement includes $40 million for planning for raising Shasta Dam, California’s largest reservoir — a long‑discussed and highly contentious proposal.
Supporters, including agricultural water districts, argue that expanding the dam would improve drought resilience and help maintain the colder water salmon need during hot summers.
Critics, including environmental groups and members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, warn the project could flood sacred sites, damage salmon habitat, and violate California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which protects parts of the McCloud River.
Environmental advocates also note that federal estimates indicate the project would increase annual water deliveries by less than 1%, raising questions about costs, benefits, and ecological trade-offs.
USA TODAY Network’s Visalia Times-Delta and Record Searchlight contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: $540M federal plan targets sinking California water canals
