California AG Filed Comments Opposing Bureau of Reclamation Proposal to Raise Shasta Dam

OCTOBER 6, 2020

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed comments opposing a proposal by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation to raise the height of the Shasta Dam in northern California by up to 18.5 feet. The comments warned that the plan “would modify flows in the Sacramento and McCloud Rivers; inundate pristine stretches of the McCloud River and threaten the River’s wild trout fishery ... ; harm sensitive species down- and upstream from the reservoir; pollute the reservoir and nearby rivers with sediment and heavy metals; and destroy sacred sites integral to the Winnemem Wintu tribe’s culture and traditions.” The comments emphasized that the bureau’s supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the plan did not sufficiently address these “devastating impacts” and related conflicts with state regulations.