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Federal Government Approves First Major CA Reservoir Project In 45 Years01-31-23 | 10
TLE-Anaheim-2025

Federal Government Approves First Major CA Reservoir Project In 45 Years
Sites Reservoir, Sacramento Valley
by Keziah Olsen, LCMP

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TLE-Anaheim-2025


The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved the Sites Reservoir Project ?EUR" the first large-scale reservoir built in California since New Melones Dam was completed in 1979. Located in Sacramento Valley, Sites Reservoir "will be the eight largest reservoir and the second largest 'off-stream' reservoir in the State of California," according to the Sites Project Authority. With construction scheduled to begin sometime in 2026, Sites Reservoir is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2033.

When full, the reservoir is estimated to hold 1.5 million acre feet ?EUR" enough water to support about seven million Californians for an entire year. The Sites Reservoir Project website explains the reservoir will be 100-percent rain fed, as projections showing more precipitation coming in the form of rain instead of snow poses problems for the current water management system that is not built to handle large amounts of rainfall and runoff. The purpose of the Sites Reservoir is to provide a place for water to go during extreme storm events so the water can later be used all over the state during the dry season. If the Sites Reservoir existed in 2023, a 2024 analysis of the 2023-34 wet season revealed that it would have reached 100 percent capacity within just two years.

Some entities are concerned that the project will not be completed, as other, smaller projects in the area have recently been terminated due to rising costs. Other critics say that it will waste time and resources to collect water that will just sit around until a drought comes. However, the stated additional purpose of employing water for environmental use provides a benefit beyond sole human use. The project intentionally does not dam or impede a major river system and it does not threaten fish migration or spawning. In fact, the project claims to be "the first reservoir in California to dedicate a portion of its water specifically for the environment to support wildlife and their habitat during drought periods."

Water Districts and municipalities from Coachella Valley in the south all the way to Colusa County in the north comprise the current list of almost 30 beneficiaries who will pay into the system once operational, with an additional waiting list 14 names long. Investors will receive a personal share of storage space in the reservoir as well as access to a proportionate share of water that is diverted to storage. The investors will then get to decide whether they want to lease their storage space or hold, take, or sell their water.

The project will next need to gain the necessary water rights from the State Water Resources Control Board before construction can begin.

To read more, go to: https://sitesproject.org/about-sites/

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