News Release Archive

Reclamation Issues Record of Decision to Expand Los Vaqueros Reservoir

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, plucero@usbr.gov

For Release: March 11, 2011

The Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Regional Director, Don Glaser, has signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project (Project) located in Contra Costa County, California. This Project is the first storage project to be implemented under the CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act of 2004. The Project will expand the existing reservoir's storage from 100,000 acre-feet to 160,000 acre-feet.

The Project will develop reliable dry-year water supplies, provide additional water quality improvement for Contra Costa Water District's municipal and industrial customers and provide additional emergency water supply for the San Francisco Bay Area. Contra Costa Water District owns and operates the Los Vaqueros Reservoir and will fund and construct the $120 million Project starting this year. The ROD is the final step documenting Reclamation's decision to enter into a coordinated operations agreement with Contra Costa Water District.

"This Project demonstrates the hard work that Senators Feinstein and Boxer, Congressman George Miller and other members of the delegation have done to help assure that California can have a sustainable water future. This is also an outstanding example of effective collaboration among local, federal and state agencies," said Don Glaser. "The Contra Costa Water District Board of Directors, managers and staff should be commended for their commitment to their customers and the Delta both now and well into the future."

Other federal and state agencies are involved in various permits required to construct and operate a project of this magnitude, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State Historic Preservation Office and the California Department of Fish and Game. Contra Costa Water District intends to begin construction this spring, consistent with all permit requirements and the Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (an attachment to the ROD).

The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a 30-year program that began in 2000 when 18 state and federal agencies signed the CALFED ROD. The program is based on four major resource management objectives that guide actions designed to achieve a healthy ecosystem while supplying 25 million Californians with a reliable water supply. The objectives of CALFED are ecosystem restoration, water supply reliability, water quality and levee system integrity. Reclamation plays a key role as the federal lead agency for implementing water supply reliability actions in coordination with state and local partner agencies.

The ROD may be viewed at online. For a copy of the ROD or for questions, please contact Sharon McHale at 916-978-5086 (TTY 916-978-5608) or e-mail smchale@usbr.gov.  Information on the Project may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/vaqueros/index.html.

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