A bill authored by Republican Doug LaMalfa and Democrat John Garamendi would fund a feasibility study and, depending on the results, authorize construction of a new reservoir. LaMalfa says the lake would be created by flooding Sites Valley west of Maxwell.
"It's surrounded on pretty much all sides by hills and small mountains. It has a couple of passes there. You would put a dam in one main pass to block water from exiting and a couple little saddle dams where there are some humps."
About a dozen people live in the valley. They are divided over the project. Some like Jackie Kerhoulas have been hearing about it for decades.
Jackie Kerhoulas 91, says she’s been hearing about the project since 1945. She’s not going to worry about having to move until the day comes. Bob Moffit / Capital Public Radio
"If we'd use it for what we say we're going to use it for, fine," Kerhoulas says. "But they'll send it down to Los Angeles so they can each have a swimming pool in their backyard and fill it every day if they want to."
Early estimates for the project are a cost of three-to-four billion dollars and a construction time of five years to complete.
About a dozen people would be displaced by the project.
Garamendi says if the project is found to be feasible, the bill would authorize construction of a reservoir that would hold nearly two million acre feet of water.
The Garamendi hopes the bill will be voted on sometime this fall.
"That will give the kind of flexibility for agricultural purposes, for water in the river," Garamendi says. "And it also allows the Shasta and Oroville and Folsom reservoirs to be re-operated so that you're actually creating more water capacity, storage capacity in those reservoirs."
January 28, 2022Last year, California saw everything from intense drought to torrential rain. Researchers and water agencies say that the future of the state’s drought depends on adapting to these shifts.
November 11, 2021As the drought dries up California’s wetlands, traveling birds such as ducks, geese and eagles are struggling to survive and breed. “This drought is bad. The odds are against us,” a state expert said.
June 23, 2021Drought resilience depends on location but also extraordinary engineering — determining which California places are running out of water this year and which remain in good shape.
June 17, 2021About 4,300 users were issued notices to halt diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
June 5, 2021Experts say the current drought is hotter and drier than previous ones, meaning water is evaporating faster.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
