Fresno County supervisors will meet Tuesday to consider approving the Friant Ranch master‑plan, a billion‑dollar project that aims to create a new town the size of Fowler just south of the community of Friant. The proposal hinges on a water‑supply assumption that the town can draw on a multi‑year reserve stored in Millerton Lake behind Friant Dam.
Federal agency says carry‑over limited to one year
David Hyatt, chief of the Bureau of Reclamation’s resource‑management division, told Fresnoland that the agency’s rescheduling guidelines allow Class 1 water – the type Friant Ranch depends on – to be carried over only for a single water year. “Under Reclamation’s Friant Division rescheduling guidelines, rescheduled Class 1 water cannot be carried over through multiple consecutive water years,” Hyatt wrote in an email.
County’s analysis relies on outdated data
The county’s only water‑supply assessment for the project dates back to 2008, predating the current storage scheme by eight years. A promised updated analysis was later dropped, with officials saying a new study was not technically required. Instead, the county has leaned on a 2022 memo from the developer’s consultant, which claims the project’s contracts “secure a reliable multi‑year surface water supply.”
Developer’s view versus federal reality
Bryan Wagner, a lawyer for Friant Ranch, maintains the town can “carry over double the amount we used in the prior year, which basically gives us a two‑year water supply.” The Bureau, however, reiterated that unused rescheduled water cannot be rescheduled again into a subsequent water year.
Historical context of water planning in the Valley
For decades, developers and farmers in the San Joaquin Valley relied on groundwater as a fallback during dry periods. Recent legislation, including the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, now limits pumping and requires large subdivisions to demonstrate a water supply that can endure a multi‑year drought.
Past droughts highlight risks
Friant Ranch’s developers first raised concerns after the 2012‑2016 drought, when their primary source – Class 1 water from Millerton Lake secured through a 2011 agreement with the Lower Tule River Irrigation District – ran dry for two consecutive years. The developer then amended the deal in 2016, seeking to have the Bureau hold over twice the water each year to create a “two‑year water piggy bank.”
Engineering warnings ignored
An engineer from Provost & Pritchard, the firm that prepared the original water assessment, warned in a 2007 internal memo that Millerton Lake’s limited capacity and its flood‑control reservations left little room for multi‑year storage. The 2016 amendment was never signed off by the Bureau, and it is unclear whether the agency was consulted.
County’s missed oversight opportunities
In 2014, amid a severe drought, Fresno County announced it would revisit Friant Ranch’s water supply, promising an updated analysis. A later lawsuit narrowed the scope of the review, and by 2021 the county declared a new study “no longer necessary” because of the developer’s amended contracts. The county has since relied on the 2022 consultant memo, which expands the carry‑over claim to four years, despite the memo’s own disclaimer that it is not a comprehensive water‑supply assessment.
Potential impact on residents
If a multi‑year drought similar to 2014‑2015 were to recur, the town’s water supply could be jeopardized, leaving local officials scrambling for emergency sources for thousands of future residents. The county’s public works and communications offices did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
What’s next?
Supervisors will weigh the developer’s assurances against the Bureau’s clear limitation on water carry‑over. The outcome will determine whether Friant Ranch proceeds with its ambitious growth plan or must revisit its water‑supply strategy to ensure a reliable source for the community it hopes to build.
Original reporting: Fresnoland — read the source article.
