Secretary Salazar Announces Reclamation's $67 Million Award from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Phase II of the Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region has awarded a $67 million contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for Phase II of the Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project.

“This marks the final stage of what is one of the most significant measures being implemented to improve fish passage in the Sacramento River and represents the largest Department of the Interior economic recovery project in the nation,” stated Secretary Salazar. The Red Bluff project is receiving a total of $109 million in ARRA funds.

With this latest ARRA award, Reclamation is initiating the final construction phase of the project. The $67 million award was issued to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure of Fairfield, Calif. for constructing a 1,118-foot-long fish screen, building a pumping station, installing nine pumps and motors, and building an electrical switchyard. Construction of the project is expected to begin in summer 2010 and be completed in 2012.

When completed, the facility is designed to provide for improved fish passage through the existing Red Bluff Diversion Dam . The new diversion facility will be located on the Sacramento River about a mile upstream of the dam and two miles southeast of Red Bluff, Calif.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor broke ground at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam project on March 23, 2010 to begin the Fish Passage Improvement Project under previously announced ARRA funding.

The project will be completed in multi-phases by Reclamation, the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, and the State of California. The total Project cost is estimated at $230 million and is being paid for partially by the $109 million in ARRA money.

The new pumping plant facility that is being constructed with the latest contract is designed with an ultimate capacity to deliver 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water from the Sacramento River into the Tehama-Colusa and Corning Canals to irrigate 150,000 acres of high-valued crops in Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, and northern Yolo counties. The initial installed capacity of the pumping plant will be 2,000 cfs.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009 gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior.
The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century.

Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.

“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,” Secretary Salazar said.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery.

Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior's Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.

Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit Reclamation's website at www.usbr.gov.