The recent approval of the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project marks a significant improvement to California’s water storage capacity. This major project, greenlit as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, represents the first substantial water storage approval in California since 2011. The Department of the Interior, in collaboration with the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, has granted the nod to this crucial initiative, signaling a new era for water storage in the state.
Located on the west side of the Central Valley, the B.F. Sisk Dam, currently a 382-foot high earthfill embankment, is set to undergo a transformative 10-foot crest elevation. This strategic expansion, complementing an ongoing seismic safety enhancement project, is poised to augment the San Luis Reservoir’s water storage capacity by an additional 130,000 acre-feet. The implications of this expansion are profound, particularly in addressing the water demands of over a million acres of farmland in the San Joaquin Valley.
“San Luis Reservoir has served as the hub of California’s water system south of the Sacramento San Joaquin Bay-Delta since its completion in 1967,” San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Board Chair Cannon Michael said in a press release. “The ability to capture more water in the years it is available, particularly given California’s changing climate, is a critical component of a more secure future for the communities, farms and wildlife dependent on the Central Valley Project for their water supply. We value our partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation and look forward to completion of this vital water storage project.”
The Investing in America agenda stands as the most substantial investment in climate resilience in the nation’s history. A financial allocation of $8.3 billion over five years, sourced from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is directed towards pivotal water infrastructure projects, including storage and conveyance, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination. Notably, the B.F. Sisk Dam project has garnered federal contributions totaling $95 million to date.
Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West