The San Luis Delta Mendota Water District received $75 million for the construction of Sisk Dam.
The funding comes from a bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021 aimed at strengthening off-stream water storage capabilities.
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The big picture: Raising B.F. Sisk Dam by 10 feet would provide approximately 130,000 acre-feet of additional water storage.
- Given that water customers have only received 40% of their total contracted amounts this year, the additional water would have improved reliability and operational flexibility if the expansion had been completed before the 2023 water year.
What they're saying: “We thank the Bureau of Reclamation for this funding,” said Water Bureau Executive Director Federico Barajas. “Developing the capacity to capture and store more water when it is available will give us the flexibility to better manage our water supply during the drought years that are sure to come. This funding support from the Bureau of Reclamation and our partnership with them are essential to developing essential water supply infrastructure to ensure we meet the water needs of our communities, mitigate the risks of uncertain water supplies to our farms and our nation's food supply, and support the needs of local wildlife refuges that rely on water from our reservoir.”
