SACRAMENTO — The federal government has approved more than $600 million in stimulus projects and programs so far in the Sacramento region, with more money still to come, according to a Bee analysis of multiple government sources.

Most of the projects are limited efforts with budgets under $1 million. A few, though, are huge, multi-million dollar jobs.

An official, comprehensive list of the region's projects doesn't yet exist. The Bee has created an unofficial list of hundreds of projects, all of them viewable at www.sacbee.com/stimulus.

Here's the skinny on the five construction projects in the region that, at this point, are getting the biggest share of stimulus funds:

Folsom Dam safety improvements – $22.3 million:

Built in 1955, Folsom Dam created Folsom Lake, one of the region's premier recreation spots. The dam is mostly for flood control, but also provides water for domestic and agricultural use.

The dam is in good shape but is starting to show its age, said Pete Lucero, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Officials have long planned to modify the dam's spillway gates to make them less susceptible to earthquakes. The stimulus money will go toward making that happen quickly.

To read the complete article, visit www.sacbee.com.