Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project

Project Overview

The project will boost Pacheco Reservoir’s operational capacity from 5,500 acre-feet to up to 140,000 acre-feet, enough to supply up to 1.4 million residents with water for one year in an emergency. The project will also reduce the frequency and severity of water shortages during droughts, protect our drinking water supply and infrastructure, and improve fish habitat. The increased storage capacity at Pacheco Reservoir will nearly equal the capacity of Valley Water’s ten other reservoirs combined.

The expanded Pacheco Reservoir will incidentally reduce flood risk along Pacheco Creek and downstream Pajaro River by holding back peak flows, offering some relief to disadvantaged communities in Dunneville, Watsonville and Pajaro.