Why aren’t dams being built to store water in a drought?
Today’s Why Guy question comes from Tricia Towne: “Why hasn’t a dam been built in over 50 years?” This is a popular question to the Why Guy. The short answer is all the best sites to build dams already have dams on them. Most were built in the 40s, 50s and 60s to prevent catastrophic local flooding. The last regional dam built, the New Melones Reservoir north of Sonora was completed in 1980, about 42 years ago. Now, with extreme drought, we need dams to store water. Well, guess what? Looks like we’re getting a new dam at the Sites Reservoir just west of Maxwell in Colusa County. President Joe Biden just dedicated $30 million to the project, which is targeted for a 2024 groundbreaking.
Related article:
- Colorado Sun: Opinion - More dams in more places