State and federal water projects work on long-term water transfer contract

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Most Valley water comes from California Department of Water Resources, or Federal Bureau of Reclamation water projects. They often work together but sharing resources requires legal contracts.

Michael Jackson in the Bureau's Fresno office told Action News a new long-term contract is being worked on that would address a number of issues.

"When water can be placed in their facilities as opposed to Bureau of Reclamation facilities, who's going to provide the power to it, the quantities, the losses, things like that," said Jackson.

A meeting to hammer out details involved a telephone conference call with attorneys for the state and federal government and growers who rely on the Cross Valley Canal for water.

The discussion is leading to a new 25-year agreement that Jackson says should help growers get a better idea of what they can expect.

"For their financing arrangements and what crops they are going to irrigate and things like that, the more reliable that information is the better they can plan," said Jackson.

Negotiations on the contract are expected to wrap up in the coming week.