Federal funding sends $540M to repair sinking California water canals.

The Interior Department announced about $540 million for California projects to repair canals damaged by land subsidence and to modernize related water infrastructure, part of a roughly $890 million Western funding package.

The Trump administration announced nearly $890 million in federal funding for water infrastructure across the Western United States, with California receiving about 60% of the total. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the funds are intended to strengthen water security, modernize aging infrastructure, and support agriculture and communities that rely on reliable water deliveries. Much of California's share is focused on canals in the San Joaquin Valley that have been damaged by decades of land subsidence. Subsidence occurs when groundwater is pumped faster than aquifers can recharge, causing the ground to sink and some damage to become permanent. Known details: - The total Western package is nearly $890 million, with California receiving about 60% (about $540 million), according to the Department of the Interior. - The Department of the Interior said funding will go to five major California projects tied to water conveyance and storage. - The Friant‑Kern Canal has experienced subsidence of more than 13 feet in some areas; repairs that began in 2022 are restoring flow along a critical 10‑mile stretch and the full project cost has been estimated around $500 million. - A Stanford University study reported parts of the San Joaquin Valley sank nearly an inch per year from 2006 to 2022, with the greatest sinking during droughts when groundwater pumping increased. - The package includes $40 million for planning to raise Shasta Dam; the proposal has both supporters and critics, who have raised concerns about effects on sacred sites, salmon habitat, and legal protections for rivers. Summary: The funding is aimed at addressing subsidence‑related damage to conveyance infrastructure and at modernizing pumping and storage capacity. Noted projects include ongoing repairs on the Friant‑Kern Canal and planning work related to raising Shasta Dam. The overall effects on water deliveries, costs, and environmental outcomes remain the subject of discussion, and further project decisions and funding steps are undetermined at this time.