California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
In a joint release issued Friday, the Department of the Interior and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority announced the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project plans have been approved. Friday’s announcement marks the first approval of a major water storage project in California since 2011.
The B.F. Sisk Dam is currently under construction to increase the dam crest by 10 feet to improve seismic safety. The new project approval adds an additional 10 feet to the dam to allow for expansion of the reservoir’s storage capacity.
The joint project will create an additional 130,000 acre-feet of storage space in San Luis Reservoir, producing additional water supply for two million people, over one million acres of farmland and 135,000 acres of Pacific Flyway wetlands and critical wildlife habitat.
“I’m thrilled to be here today with our state and local partners on the banks of San Luis Reservoir to make this important project a reality,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Touton. “Thanks to major investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this project will allow us to secure the B.F. Sisk Dam and contribute to California’s water supply reliability through increased storage capacity at San Luis Reservoir.
B.F. Sisk Dam is a 382-foot high earthfill embankment located on the west side of the Central Valley, about 12 miles west of Los Banos. The dam is over three miles long and impounds San Luis Reservoir, which has a current total capacity of around two million acre-feet of water.
