The Bureau of Reclamation has named a new operations manager for the Central Valley Operations office.
Levi Johnson, the acting operations manager since last year, will take over the position on a permanent basis.
The big picture: Johnson will be in charge of the daily water and power operations of the Central Valley Project, which oversees 20 dams and reservoirs, 11 power plants and over 500 miles of canals and aqueducts in the Central Valley.
- The Central Valley Project manages irrigation water for over three millions acres of farmland and provides municipal supplies for over three million people.
- Its power plants generate up to 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and provide major flood protection along the Sacramento, American, Stanislaus and San Joaquin rivers.
Flashback: Johnson took over as acting operations manager in 2023 after serving as the deputy operations manager of the Central Valley Operations office and the water resources branch manager for the Central California Area Office.
- He began his career with the Bureau of Reclamation in 2016 as a project manager with the Central Valley Project Improvement Act program.
- Before that, Johnson was with the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District in the Columbia Basin Project as an engineer and coordinator of a groundwater replacement program.
What they’re saying: “Levi has capably guided the Central Valley Operations office for the past year, and we are pleased to have him transition to this permanent role,” said California-Great Basin Regional Director Karl Stock. “He is a seasoned professional who will capably guide the Central Valley Operations office as it fulfills our mission to deliver water and power to people, agriculture and the environment.”
