SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Department of Water Resources has allocated almost $30 million to help repair the Friant-Kern Canal, which has lost more than 60% of its original water-carrying capacity in eastern Tulare County due to land subsidence — settling or sinking of the earth’s surface.

The 152-mile-long canal is a major artery for water delivery in the San Joaquin Valley, delivering water to about 1 million acres of farmland stretching from Fresno to Bakersfield. It also brings water to more than 250,000 Californians.

Segments along a critical 33-mile stretch in Tulare County have been damaged by land subsidence. According to the water department, subsidence has been a long-term challenge that recent droughts have exacerbated.

The damaged segments have threatened the canal’s water-carrying capacity, a problem for irrigators who rely on the conveyance system.

Ernest Conant, the Bureau of Reclamation’s regional director for the California Great Basin Region, recently told the Capital Press that fixing the Friant-Kern Canal is “very important” to farmers and California communities.

Although Reclamation owns the canal, the federal agency’s projects usually involve a cost-share aspect, so the state’s commitment this month to help with funding is significant. Phase one of the project is estimated to cost $292 million. California Department of Water Resources released $29.8 million in funding to help meet this goal.

The first step in repairing the canal started in January, and this additional funding will continue to move the repairs forward. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.

Friant Water Authority CEO Jason Phillips said this funding is “a large part of the reason that we were able to break ground” on the project early this year.

An additional $100 million in funding is slated for the coming fiscal year.

“The projects, when completed, will maximize the canal’s capacity to move water efficiently through the system and improve California’s ability to boost and store its water supply,” Karla Nemeth, director of the water resources department, said in a statement.