Chowchilla Canal Road is an approximately six-mile-long component of what is now signed as Madera County Road 13. This roadway was built as a frontage of the modern Chowchilla Bypass Canal in the 1960s south of Ripperdan Avenue (now Avenue 7) to the San Joaquin River. During rare periods where water has been low in the San Joaquin River an earthen ford has connected Chowchilla Canal Road to San Mateo Avenue in Fresno County. The Chowchilla Canal Road/Ripperdan Avenue intersection was relocated west of the Chowchilla Canal Bypass berm between 2013-2015. The original intersection can still be found in an abandoned and semi-razed state.
Part 1; the history of Chowchilla Canal Road
The Chowchilla Bypass Canal spans from the San Joaquin River near Mendota northwest to the Eastside Bypass Channel near Madera County Road 9 and Avenue 14. The Chowchilla Bypass Canal is owned and operated by the Lower San Joaquin River Levee District as part of the Lower San Joaquin River Flood Control Project.
The Lower San Joaquin River Levee District Project broke ground in 1959 and was completed by 1967. The major infrastructure pieces which were built include:
- Chowchilla Bypass Canal
- Four bays control structures on the San Joaquin River
- Mariposa Bypass
- Eastside Bypass
- Four culvert style gates on the San Joaquin River
Construction of the Chowchilla Bypass Canal essentially was a widening of the existing Lone Willow Canel (named after Lone Willow Slough). The Lone Willow Canal can be seen near Ripperdan Avenue (now Madera County Avenue 7) and Firebaugh-Madera Road (now Avenue 7 1/2) on the 1921 United States Geological Survey map of Mendota. Lone Willow Canal often appears on period maps as Chowchilla Canal.
Construction of the modern Chowchilla Bypass Canal included Chowchilla Canal Road (now Madera County Road 13) which acted as frontage road. Chowchilla Canal Road functionally was an improvement of the existing western dirt canal frontage road to modern highway standards. As a public highway Chowchilla Canal Road originated at Ripperdan Avenue and extended approximately six miles south to the San Joaquin River.
On occasion during low period of water in the San Joaquin River an earthen ford has connected Chowchilla Canal Road south over the river to San Mateo Road in Fresno County. This ford never appears to have been maintained by Madera County or Fresno County and has unclear origins. Madera County would replace their named roadways with a grid-based numbering scheme at some point during the second half of the 20th century.
A ford at the San Joaquin River connecting Chowchilla Canal Road southward to the Fresno County road network can be seen on the 1981 aerial image (historicaerials.com).
During the early 1990s the highway bridges carrying Madera County Avenue 7 and Avenue 7 1/2 over Chowchilla Bypass Canal were replaced. Until 2013 traffic wishing to access southbound Chowchilla Canal Road (now Road 13) did so from the top of the Chowchilla Bypass Canal berm. This intersection can be seen as active on the June 2013 Google Street View image of eastbound Avenue 7.
Madera County would relocate the Avenue 7/Road 13 intersection to the west by 2015. This junction is located beneath the Chowchilla Bypass Canal berm and provides a better line of sight. The original intersection is shown to have been razed on the September 2015 Google Street View image from westbound Avenue 7.
Part 2; a drive on Chowchilla Canal Road
The abandoned original Ripperdan Avenue/Chowchilla Canal Road intersection has never been removed and is easily accessible from the berm of the Chowchilla Bypass Canal.
The modern intersection of Avenue 7 and Road 13 are located west of the Chowchilla Bypass Canal berm.
Southbound Road 13 jogs back to the berm of the Chowchilla Bypass Canal.
Road 13 continues south along Chowchilla Bypass Canal. Road 13 begins to split towards the San Joaquin River at Lone Willow Slough.
Road 13 intersects Eastside Drive, and the asphalt gives way at Columbia Canal.
Road 13 terminates at the San Joaquin River.
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