Amid rising concerns about California’s water future, the fifth largest reservoir in the state is primed for expansion.
A coalition of water agencies, from Silicon Valley to Fresno, has agreed to partner with the federal government to raise the 382-foot-tall dam at San Luis Reservoir, the giant holding pool that looms as a small sea along Highway 152 in the hills between Gilroy and Los Banos.
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California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state
The dam’s enlargement would allow the federally owned reservoir to take in 130,000 acre-feet of additional water, equal to the annual use of more than 260,000 households. This makes the project one of the state’s biggest water-storage ventures in years. The Santa Clara Valley Water District, providing for 2 million people including San Jose, is the top beneficiary, and at least five other urban and agricultural water suppliers as well as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would be served by the new storage…