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The Bureau of Reclamation and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority have announced that a negotiated consensus has been met for the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project. This is one of several dams on the San Luis Reservoir and is located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley in Merced County, just east of Pacheco Pass.
The Bureau of Reclamation and the federal government have contributed the bulk of the money that will pay for the project, and local agencies will provide the rest, according to the agency. Those agencies include the Santa Clara Valley Water District, or Valley Water, which serves San Jose and other Silicon Valley cities; the San Benito County Water District; and the city of Tracy. Also participating are agricultural water suppliers such as Westlands Water District, Del Puerto Water District and Pacheco Water District.
Dana Jacobson, general manager of the San Benito County Water District, told BenitoLink the agency has contributed approximately $170,000 to the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project. He said the four-year project that begins in 2028 will allow the District to store more water during wet years that can be used in dry years. The District has tentatively reserved 5,000 acre-feet of storage.
According to the press release:
“The joint project creates an additional 130,000 acre-feet of storage space in San Luis Reservoir, the nation’s largest off-stream 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. Reclamation signed the Record of Decision for the project on Oct. 20, 2023, the first approval of a major water storage project in California since 2011.
Significant provisions of the agreement include cost sharing and space management for the federally-funded and authority-funded shares of the expanded reservoir. A $25 million investment to the project under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was announced in October 2022 and an additional $10 million in July 2023. An additional $60 million was authorized for project construction from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, for a total of $95 million in federal contributions to date in construction costs.
Previously, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided over $100 million to the B.F. Sisk Dam for a separate but connected project that will increase the dam crest by 10 feet to improve seismic fortification. Leveraging this existing project, Reclamation and project partners entered now-adjudicated negotiation sessions to add an additional 10 feet to the dam to allow for expansion of the reservoir’s storage capacity. The expanded space will store water that can be delivered to south-of-Delta water contractors and wildlife refuges. This water would meet existing contractual obligations and not serve any new demands.
‘I’m thrilled to be here today with our state and local partners to make this important project a reality,’ said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. ‘Projects move at the speed of trust, and we are so proud of these partnerships that allow us to work together to meet our mutually beneficial goals on behalf of the communities we serve.’
‘It’s an honor to celebrate this exciting milestone today with our partners,’ said Bureau of Reclamation Regional Director Karl Stock. ‘The addition of new water storage capacity south-of-Delta in San Luis Reservoir is a crucial part of our strategy for enhancing water reliability for California communities, agriculture, and wildlife.’
‘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,’ said San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Board Chair Cannon Michael. ‘The ability to capture more water in the years it is available, particularly given California’s dynamic hydrology, is a critical component of a more secure future for the communities, farms and wildlife dependent on the Authority’s member agencies for their water supply. We value our partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation and look forward to advancing this important water storage project.’
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