Design and Construction Report staff writer
California water officials have approved an additional $268.9 million in funding for the proposed Sites Reservoir project, bringing the project’s total potential state funding commitment to more than $1.36 billion as officials seek to strengthen water storage capacity amid increasing climate pressures.
The California Water Commission approved the funding increase through the state’s Water Storage Investment Program, which is supported by voter-approved Propositions 1 and 4.
The Sites Reservoir project, planned for Colusa County west of the Sacramento River, is a cornerstone of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s long-term water strategy. The off-stream reservoir would capture water from the Sacramento River during wet periods and store it for use during droughts and dry seasons.
Once completed, the reservoir would hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply more than 4.5 million households for a year, according to state officials.
“Year after year, we see climate change putting pressure on California’s water system in real time with hotter, drier weather, and more intense storms that strain our communities and the environment,” Newsom said in a statement. “With this additional funding for Sites Reservoir, we are expanding our water storage capacity and turning challenges into opportunities to capture more water for millions of California residents.”
The project is designed to improve water supply reliability while providing environmental and flood-control benefits. State officials said the reservoir would capture and store high river flows that might otherwise move through the system during storms, helping reduce flood risks while creating additional water supplies for dry years.
The reservoir also would provide water for wildlife refuges, including the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge. Officials said the project could deliver up to 200,000 acre-feet of emergency drought water supplies and create new recreational opportunities expected to attract roughly 187,000 visitors annually.
Commission Chair Fern Steiner said the project represents a significant step toward California’s long-term water goals.
“The Sites Project proponents have shown consistent progress in making this reservoir come to fruition,” Steiner said. “The California Water Plan calls for a statewide goal of nine million acre-feet of additional water, water conservation, or water storage capacity by 2040. This project will go a long way toward meeting that goal.”
Before receiving state funding, project developers must still satisfy several voter-mandated requirements, including securing financing, obtaining permits, completing environmental reviews and finalizing agreements with state agencies responsible for administering public benefits associated with the project.
The funding announcement comes as California officials warn that climate change is increasing pressure on the state’s water infrastructure. State projections indicate California could lose up to 10% of its water supply by 2040 because of hotter and drier conditions, while the reliability of the State Water Project could decline by as much as 23%.
State officials also continue to advance the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, which they say would improve the ability to move and capture water during increasingly intense winter storms. According to the administration, the project could have captured an additional 585,000 acre-feet of water through late May this year if it had already been in operation.
Construction timelines for Sites Reservoir have not been announced, but state officials have identified the project as one of California’s most significant planned water infrastructure investments.
