… What about a dam and giant lake on the northern edge of Fresno? It almost happened. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots, the story behind the planned Fig Garden Dam and Reservoir. The Central Valley Project was a big part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. It led to the construction of facilities like Friant and Shasta Dams. But the vision didn’t end with FDR. The Bureau of Reclamation developed plans for more dams and reservoirs, including one on the San Joaquin River near Highway 99 – the planned Fig Garden Dam and Reservoir. The lake would have been a key link in a new chain of canals on the east side of the valley, from Folsom to Fresno to Bakersfield.