Friant Water Authority
Friant Water Authority is a California public agency that operates the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal and Millerton Lake, delivering irrigation water from the San Joaquin River to 30+ irrigation districts, the City of Fresno, and 15,000 family farms across more than one million acres.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLindsay, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Friant Water Authority does
Friant Water Authority (FWA) is a California public agency formed under a Joint Powers Agreement (originally executed June 2016 and renewed June 2024) to operate and maintain the Friant-Kern Canal and to represent Friant Division water users in federal and state policy, political, and operational decisions. The authority operates the Central Valley Project's Friant Division infrastructure on the eastside of the southern San Joaquin Valley, including the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal, the 36-mile Madera Canal, and Millerton Lake (520,500 acre-feet capacity behind Friant Dam).
FWA delivers water from Millerton Lake to more than 30 irrigation districts, cities, and approximately 15,000 family farms across over one million acres of irrigable farmland stretching from Chowchilla to the Tehachapi Mountains. Revenue is generated through conveyance fees charged to contractors based on water volume delivered, with annual fee schedules published for water years. The authority runs active engineering projects including the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project (addressing subsidence), the FKC Pump-back Project, and the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement program, plus the NASA-supported Airborne Snow Observatory for water supply forecasting and the Golden Mussels invasive species monitoring program.
The organization is governed by a Board of Directors representing member irrigation districts and water agencies, with leadership including CEO Jason Phillips and COO Douglas DeFlitch. FWA is not a venture-backed or publicly traded company; it is a member-controlled public agency, and there are no acquisitions, funding rounds, or exits in its operating history. Its competitive position rests on regulatory entitlements, capital-intensive infrastructure, and the absence of viable alternative conveyance routes for its service area.
Friant Water Authority firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Friant Water Authority
- Legal name
- Friant Water Authority
- Website
- https://friantwater.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Friant Water Authority is a California public agency that operates the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal and Millerton Lake, delivering irrigation water from the San Joaquin River to 30+ irrigation districts, the City of Fresno, and 15,000 family farms across more than one million acres.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Friant Water Authority industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Water Conveyance Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water-Smart Irrigation & Water Stewardship (Drip/Micro, Scheduling, Water Harvesting) (AFAGAMAD)
Keywords
Where Friant Water Authority is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lindsay
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Friant Water Authority business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Water Conveyance Services: The authority operates and maintains the Friant-Kern Canal to deliver San Joaquin River water stored at Millerton Lake to member irrigation districts, cities, and family farms. Revenue is generated through conveyance fees charged to contractors for water delivery services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Annual | Conveyance Fees for Non-Friant-Kern Canal Contractors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Friant Water Authority product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Friant Water Authority operates and maintains the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal and the 36-mile Madera Canal, delivering water from Millerton Lake to over 1 million acres of irrigable farmland across California's San Joaquin Valley. The Authority serves more than 30 irrigation districts, cities, and approximately 15,000 family farms, and represents Friant Division water users in federal and state water policy matters.
Product overview
Friant Water Authority operates and maintains the Central Valley Project's Friant Division infrastructure, delivering reliable, sustainable water from Millerton Reservoir to the San Joaquin Valley's eastside. The organization's portfolio includes core water conveyance infrastructure (the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal and 36-mile Madera Canal, fed by Friant Dam and Millerton Lake with 520,500 acre-feet capacity), water supply management services serving 30 irrigation districts, cities, and 15,000 family farms across over one million acres, and specialized programs addressing subsidence, river restoration, and invasive species. Key projects include the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project to restore canal capacity affected by subsidence, the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, and the FKC Pump-back Project. The authority also operates the NASA-supported Airborne Snow Observatory for water supply forecasting and publishes the Waterline Newsletter for stakeholder communication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Friant-Kern Canal Water Conveyance Conveyance of water through the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal from Millerton Lake to member irrigation districts, cities, and family farms across the southern San Joaquin Valley.
- Madera Canal Water Conveyance Conveyance of water through the 36-mile Madera Canal delivering supplies from Millerton Lake to irrigators and municipal users in the Madera area.
- Millerton Lake Storage Service Storage and release of surface water at Millerton Lake Reservoir on the San Joaquin River, providing the source supply that feeds the Friant-Kern and Madera Canals.
- Canal Operation and Maintenance Services Operation, maintenance, and management services for the Friant-Kern Canal and Madera Canal systems on behalf of member contractors.
- Water Supply Management and Policy Representation Representation of Friant Division water users in federal and state water policy, contracting, and rights administration, including the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement.
- Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project Infrastructure capacity restoration project along the middle reach of the Friant-Kern Canal to recover conveyance capacity lost to subsidence for member districts.
- FKC Pump-Back Project Pump-back facility on the Friant-Kern Canal to recover and recirculate water that has subsided below grade, restoring lost delivery capacity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivers water to over 1 million acres of irrigable farmland
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Friant Water Authority
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Friant Water Authority technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Friant Water Authority partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Friant Water Authority competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Friant Water Authority social profiles
Digital presenceFriant Water Authority financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Friant Water Authority leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Friant Water Authority subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Friant Water Authority funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Friant Water Authority M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Friant Water Authority
What does Friant Water Authority do?
Friant Water Authority operates and maintains the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal and the 36-mile Madera Canal, delivering water from Millerton Lake to over 1 million acres of irrigable farmland across California's San Joaquin Valley. The Authority serves more than 30 irrigation districts, cities, and approximately 15,000 family farms, and represents Friant Division water users in federal and state water policy matters.
Is Friant Water Authority a public or private company?
Friant Water Authority is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Friant Water Authority founded?
Friant Water Authority was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Friant Water Authority based?
Friant Water Authority is headquartered in Lindsay, United States, in the North America region.
How does Friant Water Authority make money?
One revenue line is on record: water Conveyance Services.
Does Friant Water Authority have an API?
No public API is recorded for Friant Water Authority.
What industry is Friant Water Authority in?
Friant Water Authority's product category is Agricultural Water Conveyance Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of BPAIAMAE, Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater). Its NAICS code is 221310 and its SIC code is 4941.