… Contemplated for decades and gaining traction among Republican lawmakers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s proposed Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project would boost the capacity of California’s largest reservoir. Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term, the federal government has not mounted any public effort to raise the dam. But Trump has taken several steps in that direction, including signing executive orders instructing federal officials to waive environmental rules and deliver more water to California growers. Last week, the dam project appeared to get a push in the House Natural Resources Committee’s budget reconciliation bill, with a designation of $2 billion “for construction and associated activities that increase the capacity of existing Bureau of Reclamation surface water storage facilities.” Though the budget language does not name Shasta Dam, experts say it’s precisely crafted to facilitate the project. 

Other California dam and reservoir news:

• KQED (San Francisco): California farmers, hit hard by Trump’s trade war, haven’t turned against him yet
• California Department of Water Resources: News release: Lake Oroville update
• Chico Enterprise-Record (Calif.): Supervisors to hear presentation on water control (Oroville Dam)
• Marin Independent Journal (Calif.): MMWD begins environmental review of Nicasio Reservoir project
• KSBW (Salinas, Calif.): Los Padres Dam future debated: fish passage, sediment solutions proposed
• California WaterBlog: Trade-offs in California water discussions