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MADERA IRRIGATION DISTRICT On January 13,1920, the Madera Irrigation District was formed to create a large dam on the San Joaquin River near Friant to provide a year round supply of water. In 1921, voters approved $28 million worth of bonds to build a dam and related infrastructure. Miller & Lux Corp., the powerful cattle ranching company, fought the District in court, and effectively delayed the project for more than a decade. MID ultimately prevailed. But by 1933, the District and local residents realized that their long awaited water project would require federal funding and that it would become a critical part of a much larger water solution: the Central Valley Project. In August of 1933, Madera County voters cancelled the previously authorized bonds and, four months later, voted in favor of building the Central Valley Project. Friant Dam was built between 1939 and 1942, and the Madera Canal was finished in 1945. MID acquired Madera Canal and Irrigation Company in 1950. The addition of Hidden Dam and Hensley Lake in 1975, helped MID to supply ample water to 144,000 acres of farmland, using 300 miles of open canals and 150 miles of large diameter pipe. Dedicated in the year 2020 E Clampus Vitus Grub Gulch Chapter 41-49 Monument located at 12152 Road 28 1/4, Madera, CA 93637 |