Sacramento, California - The San Joaquin River Restoration Program has released a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for a project to increase water deliveries, from 35 cubic feet per second to 55 cfs, to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife salmon conservation and research facility immediately downstream of Friant Dam, in Fresno County.
To accommodate the additional 20 cfs, Reclamation would replace approximately 350 feet of an existing 24-inch diameter water pipeline from Friant Dam with a 30-inch diameter pipeline. The increased water delivery would allow the CDFW to operate the Salmon Conservation and Research Facility, targeted for construction in the next few years. Until the future facility becomes operational, the additional 20 cfs would be used at the adjacent interim facility for non-consumptive use and would be discharged back into the San Joaquin River.
The actions would provide sufficient water supply from Friant Dam to support the CDFW’s efforts to incubate, raise, spawn, and eventually release spring-run Chinook salmon in support of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program. The SJRRP is a comprehensive long-term effort to restore San Joaquin River flows from Friant Dam to its confluence with the Merced River, and restore a self-sustaining Chinook salmon population, while reducing or avoiding adverse water supply impacts from its Restoration Flows. More information is available at www.restoresjr.net.
The Final EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The documents may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=24476. If you encounter problems accessing the documents online, please call 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For additional information, please contact Adam Nickels at 916-978-4415 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
