The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (“Water Authority”) $75 million in funding from the 2021 federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill for the enhancement of off-stream water storage.
The B.F. Sisk Dam Raise project would raise the crest of the dam 10 feet and will produce approximately 130,000 acre-feet of additional off-stream water storage vital to the western San Joaquin Valley, San Benito Valley, and Santa Clara Valley’s water supply.
Were the expansion completed prior to the 2023 water year, the additional water stored during the past year would have provided improved reliability and operational flexibility to help meet the challenges water users are facing with this year’s 40% allocation.
Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, expressed his gratitude to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the award.
“We thank Reclamation for this funding award. 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.”
This project partnership and funding is in addition to ongoing efforts to reduce potential seismic risks already being conducted as part of the B.F. Sisk Dam Safety of Dams Modification Project.