Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion seeks $434 million in state funding from Proposition 1

Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) is pursuing $434 million in state funding to assist in paying for the public benefits of expanding the Los Vaqueros Reservoir. The state deadline for water agencies submitting applications requesting funding from Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond, was Monday. The nine-member California Water Commission (CWC) has until June 2018 to determine which projects will receive funding and how much. The projects must demonstrate public benefits in order to receive funding.

In CCWD’s case, expanding the Los Vaqueros Reservoir would provide substantial ecosystem and water supply reliability benefits. The project would provide more storage capacity and additional pipes to move water directly to partners to bolster preparedness for future droughts, increase water deliveries to wildlife refuges and provide additional Delta ecosystem improvements.

“CCWD and its customers benefitted greatly from Los Vaqueros in the last drought and continuously benefit from the improved water quality the reservoir provides,” said CCWD Board President, Lisa Borba. “The potential expansion of Los Vaqueros into a regional facility presents a significant opportunity for our customers, the environment and local agency partners.”

Of note in the potential expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir are the recent endorsements by six environmental groups including the Audubon California, California Waterfowl Association, Defenders of Wildlife, Nature Conservancy, the Planning and Conservation League and Point Blue Conservation Science. The environmentalists requested that the CWC “look favorably” on CCWD’s application.

In a recent letter to the California Water Commission, the coalition of environmental groups wrote, “As a coalition, we consider these wildlife refuge benefits to be critically important. The problem is so significant that some refuges … are left virtually dry in drought years.”

Located in Brentwood, the Los Vaqueros Reservoir is owned and operated by CCWD. Along with six partner water agencies efforts are underway to expand the reservoir from 160,000 acre-feet to 275,000 acre-feet. An expanded reservoir could provide varying levels of benefits for local partnering agencies, while maintaining all existing benefits. While an expansion would not meet every water service need for all agencies, it would give partners an additional tool to help deal with droughts and other challenges. The partnering agencies include Alameda County Zone 7 Water District, Alameda County Water District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Grassland Water District, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

An expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir will depend on a combination of local, state and federal investments – state funding is one component. Only the public benefits portion of an application can qualify for the state funding. CCWD’s application of $434 million is to fund the public benefits of the $914 million expansion project, as estimated in 2015 dollars.

The majority of the public benefits would come by way of reliable water supplies for wildlife refuges that provide critical habitat for migratory birds and many other species dependent on the last remaining wetlands in the Central Valley. The Grassland Water District’s Resource Conservation District is the largest contiguous block of wetlands remaining in California’s Central Valley and is a major wintering ground for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds of the Pacific Flyway. Up to 30 percent of the Central Valley’s wintering population of ducks use this area, which is located in Merced County. Additional public benefits include emergency response, fisheries protection, and recreation associated with an expanded reservoir.