County board should advance canal project
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors should sign off on a project that will bring the beginning of much needed repairs to the Friant-kern Canal one step closer to reality.
The Friant-kern Canal project is part of the board’s consent calendar it will consider during its meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The Bureau of Reclamation recently signed a record of decision to advance construction to repair a portion of the Friant-kern Canal. The project will restore a 33-mile stretch of the canal from between Strathmore and Lindsay to north Kern County.
The amount of water transferred from that portion of the canal has been reduced by 60 percent due to declining water levels know as subsidence caused by increased pumping of groundwater. So the repairs should also significantly help groundwater supplies. The repairs are set to begin early next year.
The project extends from Avenue 208 to Milepost 121.5 in Kern County. The project consists of several major components dealing with the design and structure of the canal, waste ways, turnouts and roadway crossings/ siphons. The project is separated into four segments.
Segment 1 will include the enlarging of the canal from Avenue 208 between Strathmore and Lindsay to the Tule River siphon, ½ mile north of Avenue 152. That’s an area of 7.4 miles in which the canal’s capacity will be increased to deliver a maximum flow of 4,500 cubic feet per second.
The enlargement will consist of raising the embankments and concrete liner for maximum flow. The raise will be accomplished by placing new con
crete on top of the existing lining and extending the height of the earthen canal banks and corresponding maintenance access roads. There will be no changes needed to the existing bridges.
Segments 2 and 3 will be comprised of 17 miles of new concrete lined trapezoidal canal located parallel to the east of the existing canal from 1/2 mile north of Avenue 152 to Avenue 32. The new parallel canal will restore a maximum delivery capacity of 4,000 cfs.
In these segments, road crossings will be constructed using castin-place concrete box siphons that divert the flow below the existing road grade. New turnout structures will be provided to replace those that have been abandoned. Turnouts will be tied into existing water contractor delivery systems.
New checks, wasteways and siphons will be required for Deer Creek and White River along with new control buildings and associated electrical, mechanical, and controls equipment.
Segment 4 will cover Avenue 32 to Avenue 16 where the new parallel canal ties back into the existing Friant-kern Canal. Similar to segments 2 and 3, segment 4 will require siphon construction at new roadway crossings and new turnout construction. Segment 4 also consists of canal enlargement past the county which will restore a maximum delivery capacity of 3,500 cfs. No changes will be needed in the existing bridges along this stretch.
As part of the consent calendar the board will consider a cost recovery agreement between the county and Friant Water Authority to reimburse costs the county may. The proposed Cost Recovery Agreement will enable the county to be reimbursed for costs previously incurred on the project, including costs incurred prior to execution of the Cost Recovery Agreement retroactive to April 1, 2019.
The Cost Recovery Agreement will also allow for county reimbursement of all proposed or anticipated costs through the conclusion of the project (following completion of Project construction). The county began working with the Friant Water Authority on this project on April 1, 2019.
“The decision to retroactively enter into this agreement enabled FWA to avoid project delays as information was requested from the county,” the county staff report stated. “Initially, staff did not know the scope of the county’s involvement on the project and until recently, was unaware of the large degree of staff coordination efforts that would be required to assist FWA in completing the project.
“As a result, staff requested that FWA develop a draft Cost Recovery Agreement so the county could at a minimum, be reimbursed for all staff time spent to date and also to cover all future county expenses on the Project.”
The staff report also stated the a Memorandum of Understanding between the county and Friant Water Authority will be developed and that MOU will be presented to the county board for approval in January.
The county staff report also stated all costs to the count are to be paid by the Friant Water Authority.
“This project will enhance the safety and security of the public by providing a safe and adequate water supply while also maintaining adequate transportation infrastructure for both the general population in the region and the motorists using these facilities,” the county staff report also stated.
Other items on the consent calendar include two local projects. One
is the purchase of land by the county for a new county branch library in Springville.
The land is located at 35701 Highway 190 and the cost to the county is $127,500. The property is owned by Franklin Eugene Baughman and Shirlee Ann Baughman.
The county staff report states the property is ideal for a library. The close of escrow is anticipated on January 25.
Also on the consent calendar is to approve a bid from Don Berry Construction of Kingsburg of $94,770 for a pedestrian crossing project on East Orange Avenue at John J. Doyel School.
The project will include the nstallation of solar powered flashing lights, advance flashing lights, ADA Ramps, minor paving, signing and striping.
“Improvements to the pedestrian crossing will result in improved visibility for motorists approaching the pedestrian crossing, accommodations for persons with disabilities, and increase the safety for pedestrians using the crossing,” the county staff report stated. Berry Construction’s bid was $56,383 lower than the estimated cost.
As part of its scheduled agenda, the board
will receive a presentation from the Sequoia Complex Fire Recovery Task Force regarding the maintenance, repair, restoration, or replacement of property and facilities damaged or destroyed as a result of the fire. The county staff report states there’s also a need of immediate adoption of an ordinance from the board and requires a 4/5ths vote of the board.
As far as the cost to the county, the staff report stated the waiving of permit fees could mean the loss of as much of $1.1 million in revenue.
Also on the agenda is a report on the status of COVID-19 in the county.