Permit No. 19964 – Chowchilla Bypass Turnout Project

The Permit No. 19964 Chowchilla Bypass Turnout Project, managed by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, involves the construction of a flow diversion structure for groundwater recharge in Madera County, California. The project is located approximately 30 miles northwest of Fresno and is designed to prevent or mitigate drought emergencies in accordance with Executive Order N-7-22. Due to these emergency drought conditions, the project has been granted an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act. The scope of work includes the installation of a new concrete groundwater recharge turnout structure featuring a low water channel and two 168-inch cone shaped fish screens protected by riprap within the Chowchilla Bypass floodway. Additionally, the project requires the construction of a concrete control box with a sluice gate on the waterside slope of the east levee and the installation of a 72-inch diameter steel pipe extending through the levee to a landside pump station. Project administration is handled by Jennifer Calles of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and Antonio Bejarano of Provost and Pritchard Consulting Group.