Contra Costa Canal Fish Screen Project Receives
$20 Million Stimulus Package

April 15 --- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar today announced an omnibus economic stimulus package for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water improvements that includes $20 million for installing fish screens at Rock Slough in Contra Costa Canal, which is one of the largest unscreened intake sites in the Delta.

The Contra Costa Water District’s canal fish screen is one of several “shovel ready” construction projects that will be funded by the $260 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act announced on Wednesday

Construction of the fish screen is expected to start this summer.  

Secretary Salazar said the Rock Slough fish screens will protect water supplies for 550,000 Contra Costa Water District customers and help restore winter-run Chinook salmon and the endangered Delta smelt.  

In addition to helping endangered species, the fish screens will also enable the District to increase usage of the Rock Slough intake, which will reduce greenhouse gases and energy consumption for pumping water.

“This is the result of great teamwork between the Bureau of Reclamation, our elected representatives and the District.  It shows what can happen when we all work together to protect the Delta,” said District General Manager Walter J. Bishop.

The fish screen project consists of a state-of-the-art screen and related structures to be installed at the Rock Slough Intake of the Contra Costa Canal. Located near Knightsen in eastern Contra Costa County, Rock Slough is one of the Contra Costa Water District’s three Delta intakes.

The project would protect sensitive fish species by preventing their entrance into the Contra Costa Canal as water flows into the canal and is delivered to the District’s customers.
 
The project includes flow control and transition structures necessary to reduce tidal influences and maintain flow rates. This will help the screen perform properly and allow fish to pass by it easily and the swim in the river.

Project design is being completed. The first phase of the project (installation of the flow control structure) is expected to begin this summer.  The remainder of the project will be ready for construction in summer 2010.

CCWD’s Board of Directors is expected to approve a contract for final design of the first phase of the project when it meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. at District Center.

Read the Media Release from Gov. Schwarzenegger's office.

Read the Media Release from the U.S. Dept of Interior

Read the Media Release from the Bureau of Reclamation on the Contra Costa Canal Fish Screen Project.