US Bureau of Reclamation

The United States Supreme Court officially declined to hear a case alleging the federal government illegally stiffed water contractors, including the City of Fresno, when it gave them zero water during the crushing 2014-2015 drought.

Plans to build the dam were mired in bureaucratic rivalry in Washington D.C. for years, drawing the attention of two presidents.

President Donald Trump was in Bakersfield for a short visit Wednesday to sign a Presidential Memorandum to commit more water to San Joaquin Valley…