SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the Bureau of Reclamation and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority finalized the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project’s Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report. This joint proposed project would create an additional 130,000 acre-feet of storage space in San Luis Reservoir, producing additional water supply for 2 million people, over 1 million acres of farmland and 200,000 acres of Pacific Flyway wetlands.

“Adding storage capacity to existing reservoirs is one of the most practical strategies for California’s water shortage,” said Commissioner Brenda Burman. “At San Luis Reservoir, we have an opportunity to meet two objectives at the same time: implement dam safety modifications and increase water storage. This is one of the most efficient water infrastructure projects we can make happen south-of-the Delta.”

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 3 miles long and impounds San Luis Reservoir, which has a current total capacity of around 2 million acre-feet of water.

Read More →