Sites Reservoir: Water for Dry Years
Now more than ever, California needs innovative solutions to ensure we have a sustainable water supply. Our climate has changed, and we need more storage as the West gets drier and hotter to ensure we have enough water to meet our needs.
Sites Reservoir is a unique, multi-benefit water storage project that will capture and store water from major storms, so water is available to California’s communities, farms, and environment during dry periods.
The water that Californians use for drinking, recreating and protecting the environment moves through a system that is arguably the most complex in the world.
Sites Reservoir Benefits
- Reliable dry-year water supply for California’s communities, farms and environment
- Dedicated environmental water for native fish, migratory birds, and their habitats
- Adaptable to climate change
- Contribution to California’s renewable energy goals
- Flood management
- Recreational opportunities
- Job creation, including a large skilled workforce during construction
Sites Reservoir Fast Facts
Creates additional 1.5 million acre-foot off-stream storage for drier periods
Increases Sacramento Valley water storage capacity
Creates reliable supplies for environmental, agricultural, and municipal uses
30 participating agencies representing communities across California
A Part of the Sacramento Valley
Sites Reservoir would be located on the west side of the Sacramento Valley, near Maxwell, California – a rural farming town in Colusa County, approximately 65 miles northwest of Sacramento. The Sacramento Valley is known for its farming community, rich agricultural benefits, and natural beauty. The region’s acres of grassland surrounded by rolling foothills make it an ideal location for off-stream water storage. The proposal is widely supported by local community leaders, residents, as well as state water managers and water agencies from the Bay Area to Southern California.
A 21st Century Water Storage System
Sites Reservoir is a water savings account for dry years. It would capture and store stormwater flows from the Sacramento River—after all other water rights and regulatory requirements are met—and release the water for California communities, farms, and environmental agencies to use when it is desperately needed.
Sites Reservoir complements other major reservoirs like Shasta, Oroville, and Folsom, which function as the backbone to both the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Sites Reservoir will help optimize water releases from this existing network, greatly increasing the flexibility, reliability and resiliency of statewide water supplies.
Stay Informed
Social Media
Follow Us on Twitter.
;
Sites Reservoir supports the Sacramento Valley way of life. It’s a one-of-a-kind region where family farms, small towns, and the environment work in harmony. 🚜🏪🦆
🔗 Learn more at http://SitesProject.org.
#SitesReservoir #WhySites #BuildSitesNow #CaliforniaWater
Follow Us on Instagram.
Sites Reservoir is funded by 100% public dollars from local, state, and federal sources.
The constituents served by the public agencies funding the project will directly benefit from increased water supply reliability, as well as the reservoir’s environmental and recreational benefits. 💧
👉 Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio.
Sites Reservoir is designed to capture water from major storms, like atmospheric rivers, and store it for drier periods.
If Sites Reservoir were already operational, we would have captured and stored a significant amount of water for communities, farms, and the environment over the past three wet seasons. 🌧️☀️
👉 Learn more at SitesProject.org.
Sites Reservoir supports the Sacramento Valley way of life. It’s a one-of-a-kind region where family farms, small towns, and the environment work in harmony. 🚜🏪🦆
🔗 Learn more at SitesProject.org.
#SitesReservoir #WhySites #BuildSitesNow #CaliforniaWater
California’s water future starts here. 💧 Watch this video to learn how Sites will support California’s agricultural economy. 🔗 Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio. #SitesReservoir #WhySites #SitesStartsHere #CaliforniaWater
#DidYouKnow: The existing topography of the Sites Reservoir Project site is naturally bowl-shaped and perfectly situated to accommodate a reservoir.
Sites is also designed to primarily utilize local existing facilities and infrastructure to transport water, which also reduces the Project’s footprint.
Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio.
2024 marked the start of a new chapter for Sites Reservoir with several major milestones that moved the Project closer to final design and construction:
✅ Environmental Impact Report approved by courts
✅ Permits secured from the CA Department of Fish & Wildlife
✅ First land purchase was completed
✅ And the Water Right permit process is now underway with the State Water Board!
Learn more in our Annual Report! Link in bio.
California’s water future starts here. 💧 Sites Reservoir will ensure farmers have the water they need to grow crops, strengthen local economies and support food production—especially during times of drought. 🌾🚜
Watch this video to see how. 🔗 Learn more at SitesProject.org. #SitesReservoir #WhySites #SitesStartsHere #CaliforniaWater
As California faces more extreme weather, like longer droughts and bigger storms, #SitesReservoir offers an adaptable and climate-resilient solution. 🌧️☀️
Sites Reservoir will capture water during wet periods and store it for drier periods, all without damming any major rivers.
#BuildSitesNow
Follow Us on Facebook.
Sites Reservoir is funded by 100% public dollars from local, state, and federal sources.
The constituents served by the public agencies funding the project will directly benefit from increased water supply reliability, as well as the reservoir’s environmental and recreational benefits. 💧
👉 Learn more at SitesProject.org
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Is it really worth it to build a body of water when cloud seeding is a thing now?
Let’s get it built
Still waiting