Governor Gavin Newsom announced during Climate Week that Sites Reservoir, one of the biggest water projects in modern California history, is moving closer to construction after the Sites Project Authority signaled that a revised water right permit from the State Water Resources Control Board can support a viable reservoir project.
The action moves the project into an investment period, putting it closer than ever to construction. The final permit will go before the State Water Board on November 4.
"California is moving with urgency to build the water infrastructure our changing climate demands," Newsom said. "Sites Reservoir will help us capture more water when storms bring it, store it for when communities, farms, and the environment need it most, and strengthen our resilience to drought, floods, and a changing climate. The latest action moves this critical project another major step closer to construction."
Sites Reservoir is a key component of the Governor's water strategy. It will capture water from the Sacramento River during wet seasons and store it for drier seasons, holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water — enough to supply over 4.5 million homes for a year.
Once complete, the reservoir will capture and store flood flows from the Sacramento River to reduce potential flood damage, provide recreation opportunities 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, and deliver up to 200,000 acre-feet of captured water as a new supply for emergency-declared droughts.
Earlier this year, Newsom announced the state would provide nearly $269 million more for the project. With that funding, the Sites Project is eligible for a total of $1.363 billion in Water Storage Investment Program funding from Proposition 1 and Proposition 4. Newsom previously streamlined judicial review of the project under CEQA, allowing it to swiftly defeat a legal challenge to its environmental review.
Climate change poses a growing threat to California's water supply, which is expected to lose 10% by 2040 due to hotter, drier conditions, while the reliability of the State Water Project could be reduced by as much as 23%. This week, Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to bolster preparedness for a potentially historic El Niño season.