The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority has received $75 million to raise Sisk Dam.
The funding comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill for the enhancement of off-stream water storage.
The big picture: Raising B.F. Sisk Dam by 10 feet will provide around 130,000 acre-feet of additional off-stream water storage.
- Had expansion been completed prior to the 2023 water year, the additional water would have improved reliability and operational flexibility given that water users are only receiving 40 percent of their contracted totals this year.
What they’re saying: “We thank Reclamation for this funding award,” said Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the water authority. “Developing the capacity to capture and store more water when it is available allows us the flexibility to better manage water supplies across the dry years we know will come. This funding from – and partnership with – the Bureau of Reclamation is crucial to develop the critical water supply infrastructure needed to ensure we can reliably meet the water requirements of our communities, reduce the risks of uncertain water deliveries for farms and the nation’s food supplies, while helping to support the needs of local wildlife refuges who also rely on supplies from the reservoir.”
