McCarthy Applauds Initial Actions on Raising Shasta Dam

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced it has started initial exploratory work in the process to raise Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet following passage of the WIIN Act in 2016 and the Fiscal Year 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act earlier this year, which included $20 million for Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project design and pre-construction activities.  Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) issued the following statement:

“After decades of debate and study, I want to commend President Trump, Interior Secretary Zinke, and Reclamation Commissioner Burman for taking action to get the Shasta Dam enlargement physically underway.  Following years of catastrophic drought, our state needs additional surface water storage to capture water during wet years for use during dry years.  Raising Shasta Dam will provide a much-needed 630,000 acre-feet of additional storage, which is almost half of the average annual water consumption in the Bay Area[1].  Every drop counts when it comes to water in California, and today’s action by the Trump Administration is a win for our California communities so that Californians can get the water they need especially during dry spells.  I look forward to working with the Trump Administration and stakeholders, who recognize the importance of increasing water storage in California, to seeing this project come to fruition.”