Senate Approves Feinstein Measure to Transfer
Sugar Pine Dam to Foresthill Public Utility District
December 8, 2000

Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate today approved a measure sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) authorizing the transfer of the Sugar Pine Dam and Reservoir Project from the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation to the Foresthill Public Utility District.

The dam and reservoir are a part of the Central Valley Project (CVP), which provides water and power to municipal and industrial users in the region. The Sugar Pine project, although financial integrated with the CVP, was never operationally integrated , creating a financial disparity in which municipal and industrial contractors incurred debt, despite the fact they never received benefit from the project. Some of the these contractors include the Contra Costa Water District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the City of Fresno.

“This measure addresses this disparity and relieves the municipal and industrial contractors from their debt associated with the Sugar Pine project,” Senator Feinstein said. “As a result, this measure enables these contractors to negotiate new water contracts with the Bureau of Reclamation and ensures that they will be better able to serve business and residential customers in the region.”

Sugar Pine Dam is located on North Shirttail Canyon approximately 7 miles north of Foresthill, Calif. The dam was completed in 1982, and the project was transferred to the Foresthill Public Utility District for operation and maintenance in 1984.

The measure was approved as part of Hawaii Water Resources Reclamation Act (S. 1694). The House of Representatives approved companion legislation to S. 1694 in October.