The US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has awarded a $93 million construction contract to NW Construction, Inc. for the Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Bypass Project. The project is part of ongoing efforts to meet the requirements of the 2006 San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement and the 2009 San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act. It aims to improve fish passage along the river by constructing a fish bypass channel at Sack Dam and installing a fish screen at the Arroyo Canal.
“The Settlement and Settlement Act represent a positive partnership between water users, environmental groups, the federal government, and the State of California,” said Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. “We look forward to these relationships advancing the cause of multi-benefit programs on the San Joaquin River and beyond.”
Sack Dam is currently a barrier for migrating salmonids. The bypass and fish screen are intended to allow fish, such as spring-run Chinook salmon, to travel upstream to complete their lifecycle, while preventing them from entering the gravity-fed Arroyo Canal.
“This project will allow spring-run Chinook salmon and other salmonids to access upstream sections of the river to complete their lifecycle, while still allowing water users to continue lawful diversions,” said Donald E. Portz, Ph.D., program manager for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2025 and is expected to take about three years to complete.
