Rep. Jim Costa cuts Red Tape to Fast-Track Pine Flat Dam

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) secured a major victory through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, paving the way towards raising Pine Flat Dam. This project is crucial for increasing water storage in the San Joaquin Valley, ensuring farmers have a more reliable water supply for irrigation and crop production.

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to pass this legislation, and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“Water is the lifeblood of our farms, and this is a huge step forward in securing the resources our farmers need,”said Representative Costa.“Expediting the feasibility study to raise Pine Flat Dam is essential to ensuring our communities have reliable water for the future, especially during droughts.”

Costa secured legislative language to mandate the Secretary of the Army to fast-track a feasibility study required for raising Pine Flat Dam. If the study shows the project is justified, it could move directly into the planning, design, and pre-construction phases. The dam would be raised by 12 feet to increase the lake’s existing 1-million-acre feet of storage by 124,000-acre feet.

Severe flooding has damaged the region’s infrastructure, inundated communities, and even reshaped Tulare Lake. Water projects like the Pine Flat Dam could help mitigate these impacts and better protect the region from future disasters.