By Don A. Wright
The Friant Water Authority’s Executive Committee met at its Lindsay headquarters and on Teams on Monday, August 18, 2025. The meeting was scheduled to begin at 8:30am in closed session and the open session will start at 10:30am. At the risk of sounding either pedantic or ignorant, or horrors both – let’s take a look at committees. An executive committee is usually comprised of the officers of the board and they meet prior to the full board of directors meeting. They use this time to set the agenda and give a little deeper
dive into some subjects. This helps guide the organization as well as keeping the officers informed. Tell me I’m wrong. Seriously, I just made that stuff up off the top of my head so my beloved drop cap has enough lines it won’t look awkward.
The Meeting
Chairman Rick Borges called the meeting to order at 10:48am. There was no report from closed session, no public comment and the minutes were approved, covering all the action items.
The first topic was presented by consultant Mike Villines. Villines spoke on the San Joaquin River Restoration program. There’s a lot of history behind this subject and I need to do a larger update but it always has something to do with funding.
The Natural Resources Defense Council started a multi-decade long lawsuit against the US Bureau of Reclamation over salmon returning to the foot of Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River. This is about the southern most range of salmon on North America’s Westcoast and portions of the San Joaquin River no longer supported migrating salmon.
As I recall the water users proposed many cost effective solutions only to be rejected by the NRDC. One solution told me by the late, great Kole Upton former chairman of Friant, was to dig a 10 foot by 10 foot channel down a path approximating the old river course. Trees could be planted along the banks keeping the water temperature safe for salmon and for a fraction of $5 million per fish cost currently encountered, the project could be very successful in short order. I believe the NRDC rejected the new channel claiming it wasn’t natural enough and the fish’s path should follow the historic channel. The problem was which historic channel should be followed.
If you take a drive-up Highway 99 through the San Joaquin Valley you’ll see the San Joaquin, Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Mokelumne Rivers all flow down tree lined canyons of sorts. This keeps the water cooler. However, the San Joaquin River soon leaves the canyon downstream of Highway 145 and begins to meander hither and yon through the flatlands of the Valley’s westside.
During wet years before any dams were built the San Joaquin River’s channel might breaking to six courses or more across the flatter parts of its journey. During dry years and droughts without backup supplies stored behind dams the river might be ankle high in places and the water warm enough to be deadly to salmon. We hear stories about how in the old days you could walk across the backs of salmon and fish with a pitchfork in the San Joaquin River. Not so many stories about the dry times when salmon couldn’t return to their origin of birth.
Villines said there needs to be $100 million spent total on the Eastside Bypass Rock Ramp – $35 million, and the Chowchilla Bifurcation Structure Modification at $65 million. I like what Villines said – $100 million isn’t just budget dust but it isn’t an unexpected ask.
The State of California is on the hook for the rock ramp and its inaction is holding up the show. There’s a draft letter from the San Joaquin Valley legislative delegation urging the state to not end up with egg on its face from wasting a portion of the $10 billion Prop 4 money. CEO Jason Phillips said this letter will be signed jointly and is intended to urge the state forward.
Water Ops
Ian Buck-Macleod reported there has been some thunder storms in the Sierras and this hasn’t been the hottest summer. If I understood correctly both Shasta and Folsom storage are still in good shape. There was an ag water requirement in the Delta that barely slowed August pumping at the federal Jones Plant. The Jones plant will have to shut down for maintenance later this year but there is a permit request to have the state Banks Plant pick up the slack.
Buck-Macleod said Southern California Edison is going to release some more water downstream on the San Joaquin River to Millerton Lake. That will help with late releases along with unreleased restoration flows. So, sounds like Friant has a good chance of a 100 percent Class I allocation all year. Also, there are some plans for the Airborne Snow Observatory flights again this season.
SLDMWA
Phillips reported the San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority planning committee held an in-person-only meeting last week. He said it was productive in furthering the principles of furthering the Delta Mendota Canal repairs. There will be a September 8th meeting at 9:00am to get a Phase One cost allocation. CFO Wilson Orvis had nothing further to share. Overall sounded positive.
CEO Report
Phillips said there was a tour of Shasta with CVP managers, Congressman Jim Costa and high-level US Bureau of Reclamation appointees and staff. The tour also included the Jones
Plant and the Los Banos San Luis facilities. Phillips said every time he visits the Jones Plant it reminds him how important for directors to tour the Delta facilities to see how much regulatory constraints are placed on moving water in California.
The day before the tour Phillips met at John Duarte’s Ranch at a hearing for Congressman Tom McClintock. The Region Nine EPA Administrator Josh Cook and others were there to talk about a strike team to tackle water issues in the West. Cook will also be at the Urban Water Institute conference later this week in San Diego. As will Phillips, who will have an opportunity to speak with Cook on issues impacting the various parts of the Valley.
On top of everything else; Phillip’s daughter is on the school volleyball team and that sucks the time out of any man who tries to live a life and attend all the games. So, good for him. With that the meeting adjourned at 11:20am. Go have a great time but be good to yourselves and others.
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FRIANT WATER AUTHORITY
854 N. Harvard Ave., Lindsay, CA 93247, Office 559/562-6305 Email:information@friantwater.org www.friantwater.org
The Friant Water Authority is a Joint Powers Agreement with 15 districts to operate and maintain the Friant Division of the Central Valley Water Project. Water from the San Joaquin River is diverted at Friant Dam at Millerton Lake to the Madera/Chowchilla Canal to the north and the Friant/Kern Canal to the south. More than one million acres of mostly family farms and numerous communities get their surface supplies from the Friant Division.
Board: Chair Rick Borges
Staff: CEO Jason Phillips, COO Johnny Amaral, CFO Wilson Orvis, Water Resources Manager Ian Buck-Macleod, Engineer Katie Duncan, Superintendent Chris Hickernell and Attorney Don Davis.
