Ten Years and $7.5 Billion Later, No New Water Storage in California

More than a decade after voters approved a $7.5 billion water bond in Prop. 1 in 2014, no new water storage infrastructure has been built in California.

San Jose Mercury News It has been reported On Wednesday, authorities decided what to do with almost $5 billion of available cash after the “collapse” of a project to expand the Los Vaqueros Reservoir east of San Francisco.

Other projects have received funds for planning and permits, but nothing has been built.

The newspaper pointed out:

A majority of seven board members of California Water Commissionstate agencies distributing funds for building reservoirs and other water projects have split the remaining $453 million from the Los Vaqueros project, showing that they are leaning towards offering this year. Six other major new reservoirs and groundwater storage projects It is currently in drawings around the state.

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The bond can provide up to half the cost of a project designed to store more water in wet years to offset shortages in cities and farms during droughts. But they have been slowed by rising costs due to community pandemics, inflation, permitting delays, and other issues.
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Of the six projects approved by the committee, they are currently under construction.

The only project under construction, Harvest water program Sacramento recycles wastewater to provide 50,000 acre feet (16 billion gallons) of water for agricultural purposes.

California's failure to store and transport water where it was needed was highlighted by President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Pallisard and Eaton fires in Los Angeles last month. The 117-gallon reservoir above Pallisard in the Pacific, operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, was largely empty at the start of fire season as it was down for maintenance.