Today, Congressman John Duarte (CA-13) joined the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, the Westlands Water District,the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and members of both parties to sign the Principles of Agreement for the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project.
This landmark project will add 130,000 acre-feet of additional storage at San Luis Reservoir. This will help provide reliable water for over two million families, one million acres of farmland, and vital wildlife habitat in our Central Valley. This project will be the first major increase in Federal surface water storage capacity since the late 1970s and the first new storage capacity in California since the 1990s.
Congressman Duarte issued the following statement:
“When our Valley has water, we have good-paying jobs and affordable groceries. The expansion of San Luis Reservoir is a vital step towards ecuring water abundance for Valley families, farms, and communities. 130,000 acre-feet of additional water storage capacity at San Luis Reservoir will help provide our communities more of the water we need. It is a starting step, but we need to do more. That's why I'm also bringing my Democrat and Republican friends together to extend the Folsom South Canal to send more water to our Valley. We must also build Sites Reservoir and enlarge Shasta Reservoir to capture more water during wet years for use in dry ones."
Key Benefits of the Project:
Increased Storage: Enlarging San Luis Reservoir allows us to capture up to 130,000 acre-feet of additional water that we can use in our Valley.
Economic Growth: Bringing additional water to our Valley creates more good paying jobs in agriculture, allows us to build more homes, and makes groceries cheaper.
Environmental Stewardship: This project also helps supportPacific Flyway wetlands and wildlife habitatsin our region.
