Last month’s devastating fires in Los Angeles brought attention to the need for California to build needed water storage facilities throughout the state. Case in point is the proposed expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir, which was halted in November after the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) withdrew from the plans. The CCWD board explained: “Beyond the significant cost increase, there were several other significant factors that led to this project – including decreased benefits for partners, increased benefit uncertainty and insufficient guarantees of backup water supplies for CCWD customers while the reservoir is demolished and reconstructed.”