Construction to Begin on Last Sacramento Valley “High Priority” Fish Screen Project

In January 2026, the Meridian Farms Water Company (MFWC) will be selecting a contractor to begin construction on the second and final phase of its program to screen the diversions used to deliver Sacramento River water to the district. This is the last of the fish screening projects that were originally identified as “high priority” by state and federal fisheries agencies in the early 1990s.

“Completing this project is possible due to the collaborative efforts and funding of many partners, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Natural Resources Agency, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Bureau of Reclamation and Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Andy Duffey, General Manager of Meridian Farms Water Company.

In November, the Wildlife Conservation Board approved $15 million for the project, providing the remaining State cost share necessary to meet the project cost estimate. The total project cost for both phases is a little more than $65 million. The funding has come from the state and federal partners mentioned above as well as local funding from Meridian Farms Water Company.

MFWC has three diversions along the Sacramento River – Meridian, Drexler, and Grimes. The fish screen project consolidated the three unscreened diversions to two new screened intakes. Phase 1 included the construction of the new screened Grimes diversion and a pipeline to facilitate the consolidation. Phase 2 includes a new 135-cfs Meridian Diversion with two retractable cylindrical screens capable of operating under the new low-flow criteria for Sacramento River, and rehabilitation of the existing conveyance system to provide additional capacity to eliminate the Drexler diversion.

“This project helps to enhance passage and protect all four runs of Chinook salmon, including the threatened spring-run and endangered winter-run, and other fish species in the Sacramento River,” said Duffey. “The fish screen will allow landowners to divert water in fall months to provide habitat for birds using the Pacific Flyway and other species that reside in or migrate through the Sacramento Valley. This project will also enhance drought resilience for the region, aiding Sacramento River water management flexibility during dry years.”

The completion of this project will bring to a close a more than two-decade effort by Meridian Farms to provide these protections to fish in the Sacramento River. Meridian Farms Water Company provides irrigation water to about 10,000 acres in three distinct service areas in Sutter County, bounded by Sutter Bypass on the east and north, Tisdale Bypass on the south and the Sacramento River.

Fish screens provide a protective barrier to prevent fish of all sizes from being entrained, or otherwise harmed, by pumping facilities while water is being diverted. The Anadromous Fish Screen Program was developed over thirty years ago in response to concerns that Central Valley diversions were having an impact on the survival of native fish, particularly juvenile Chinook salmon, including the endangered winter-run and threatened spring-run. The fish screen projects support the priorities of the proposed Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program, NOAA Fisheries’ Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Plan and California Natural Resources Agencies’ California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future.

Water suppliers in the Sacramento Valley will continue to advance, in partnership with state and federal agencies and conservation organizations, a program of habitat and flows for salmon that benefits every freshwater life-cycle state for all four runs of Chinook salmon.