Delta–Mendota Canal

The Delta-Mendota Canal is an irrigation canal stretching about 117 miles from Tracy to Mendota Pool, moving water along the western side of San Joaquin Valley. The system includes several control structures and is fed by the C.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant, which lifts water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The canal system was completed in 1951 as part of the Central Valley Project to support growing agricultural needs and water demands in California. It answered the rising need for irrigation as farming in the region expanded rapidly.

The canal makes farming possible for melons, grapes, vegetables, and nuts, shaping daily agricultural life across the region.

The canal starts at the C.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant, where water is lifted before flowing south. Visitors can view the waterway from several roads that cross the route and gain a sense of the region's vital water infrastructure.

Near Mendota, the land subsided about 29 feet between 1925 and 1977 due to heavy groundwater pumping. This sinking significantly affected how the canal was built and how it functions today.

Location: California

GPS coordinates: 37.09270,-121.04100

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:58