$12.7 Million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding Awarded to California Company for Final Phase of Contra Costa Canal Fish Screen Structure

05/19/2010
Last edited 09/29/2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $12.7 million contract for the third and final phase of the Contra Costa Canal Fish Screen at Rock Slough project under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The work was awarded to Flat Iron West, Inc., of Benicia, Calif.

“Reclamation's ARRA projects are meeting future water supply needs, improving infrastructure reliability and safety, and safeguarding our environment while creating jobs in the West,” stated Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “The fish screen will be constructed to keep fish from entering the Contra Costa Canal intake. This will minimize entrainment losses of fish, and fulfill Central Valley Project Improvement Act requirements as well as other legal requirements.”

The Canal is part of the Central Valley Project's Delta Division.

Water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is diverted at Rock Slough and conveyed to the head of the Canal. One of the primary goals of the Project is the protection of the delta smelt and the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon. Addressing environmental issues associated with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta represents an important piece of the overall restoration program.

The total ARRA investment by the Bureau of Reclamation nationwide is nearly $1 billion, including money funding projects to repair America's water infrastructure and help address the country's long-term water challenges. Originally the Bureau of Reclamation identified 189 projects that were approved for ARRA funding. Some of these projects were bid at below the government estimate, thereby making ARRA funds available for additional activities.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009 gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior.
The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.

“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,” Secretary Salazar said.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior's Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.

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