News Release Archive

In Case You Missed It: Reclamation remains focused on improving California’s water supply

Media Contact: Marlon Duke, 385-228-4845, mduke@usbr.gov

For Release: December 02, 2019

Shasta DamBureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman penned an editorial for the Sunday edition of the Fresno Bee where she reiterated the strong case for additional water storage in Northern California—specifically, for the reasonable enlargement of Shasta Dam by 18 ½ feet.

“Our administration stands ready to partner with Western States in advancing new and improved water storage projects that would deliver water and power in an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sound manner. Improving California’s infrastructure is key to increasing both water supply and environmental benefits.” – Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman

“California simply does not have enough carry-over storage. Growing demands for California’s shared water resources over the last century, combined with insufficient water storage capacity, limit our ability to meet all those demands. This is why, working with partners, we are looking for new storage opportunities in Northern California. Projects like raising Shasta Dam would allow California to add capacity to an existing reservoir—like adding an addition to your house, rather than clearing land for a new home.”

“Every year in California we have unmet water needs. We hear it from our constituents, we read it in the news—we know it. In California, we know that more storage would help us meet those needs. Shasta Dam already stands over 600 feet tall—adding another 18 ½ feet would enhance the infrastructure we have already built, providing new water supplies for farms, for fish, and for cities.”

ICYMI…

The Fresno Bee: It’s time to secure California’s water supply by raising Shasta Dam

California is in critical need of additional water storage. It seems that every other year we see fields fallowed, rivers running low, and water rationing in cities and towns across the state. Reliable water is critical to every aspect of the economy as more than 40 percent of the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables are grown in the Central Valley, much of that using water from the Central Valley Project (CVP) and its largest reservoir—Shasta Lake.

Full Article at Link Below

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

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Full article here.