Governor Newsom announces nearly $269 million to advance Sites Reservoir project, expanding California’s water storage commitment

Sites Reservoir is a key component of the Governor’s water strategy and will capture water from the Sacramento River during wet seasons and store it for use during drier seasons – holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply over 4.5 million homes for a year. 

Once construction is complete, the reservoir will:

• Capture and store flood flows from the Sacramento River to reduce potential flood damage.

• Provide new opportunities for recreation for an anticipated 187,000 visitors annually.

• Dispatch water to wildlife refuges, including the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.

• Deliver up to 200,000-acre feet of captured water to create a new water supply for use during emergency-declared droughts.

“The Sites Project proponents have shown consistent progress in making this reservoir come to fruition. We look forward to seeing them complete the statutory requirements so they can come before us for final funding,” said Commission Chair Fern Steiner. “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.”

With this additional funding, the Sites Project is eligible for a total of $1.363 billion in Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) funding from Proposition 1 and Proposition 4. 

To receive funding from the Commission, the project must first meet certain voter-mandated requirements, including securing financing, obtaining permits, completing environmental review, and contracting with the State agencies that are overseeing the administration of the public benefits. Governor Newsom previously streamlined judicial review of the project under CEQA, allowing the project to swiftly defeat a legal challenge to the project’s environmental review. More information about the project can be found at build.ca.gov.