GOODWIN DAM — With hard hats, shovels, and a bold vision for the next century, South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) and Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) officially kicked off the Canyon Tunnel Project on August 4, 2025. The 12,000-foot water tunnel promises to revolutionize how water moves through the Sierra foothills. Built beneath steep canyon walls and through an ancient, buried riverbed, the tunnel will bypass a fragile section of the Joint Supply Canal (JSC), protecting critical water deliveries to cities, farms, and families across SSJID and OID’s districts for generations to come.
“This tunnel is a lifeline for our communities,” said Glenn Spyksma, SSJID Board President. “We’re building a future where water keeps flowing no matter what nature throws our way.”
Dozens gathered along Tulloch Dam Road at Goodwin Dam to witness the momentous launch of this major infrastructure upgrade. The Canyon Tunnel is designed to eliminate risks from landslides that have threatened the century-old canal, including a 2013 rockfall that nearly crippled early-season water deliveries. The new tunnel will ensure a safe, uninterrupted water supply to SSJID’s constituents representing 50,000 acres of farmland and the cities of Escalon, Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy. Likewise, the tunnel will also protect OID’s ability to serve approximately 26,000 acres of irrigated farmland and raw water for domestic purposes to the community of Knights Ferry…