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.
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Ali Forsythe, Environmental Planning and Permitting Manager for the Sites Project Authority, highlights key permitting milestones and ongoing collaboration with state and federal leaders that are keeping Sites Reservoir on track to break ground by next year. #SitesAuthority15
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Ali Forsythe, Environmental Planning and Permitting Manager for the Sites Project Authority, highlights key permitting milestones and ongoing collaboration with state and federal leaders that are keeping Sites Reservoir on track to break ground by next year. #SitesAuthority15 #BuildSitesNow
Sites Reservoir can operate independently from other proposed statewide water projects like the proposed new Delta Conveyance system.
👉 Learn more at the link in our bio!
Hear from Sites Project Authority’s Engineering and Construction Manager, JP Robinette, as he reflects on 15 years of design and construction milestones—plus, what’s ahead in the coming years. #SitesAuthority15 #BuildSitesNow
Stored water will evaporate from Sites Reservoir, but these amounts will be minimized.
👉 Learn more at the link in our bio!
Sites Reservoir is built for climate resilience. It’s designed to capture excess water from the Sacramento River during high-flow events and intense storms. ☔
By storing this valuable resource and releasing it during dry periods, Sites will help California manage drought, reduce reliance on declining snowpack, and adapt to a future of more extreme rainfall.
The Sites project location is perfectly situated to accommodate a water reservoir, thanks to local partners and the existing landscape. Sites Reservoir will rely on existing infrastructure and the area’s natural bowl-shaped topography.
More than 100 miles of canals and pipelines involved in the Project will be existing facilities.
The CMAR procurement process for securing the reservoir and roads package is underway!
Learn more at SitesProject.org
Jerry Brown, Executive Director of the Sites Project Authority, highlights key funding milestones and participant commitments that are bringing Sites Reservoir closer to construction in the coming year. #SitesAuthority15 #BuildSitesNow
There are years where the full capacity of Sites Reservoir, 1.5 million acre-feet, would be available for diversion and storage.
👉 Learn more at the link in our bio!
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Sites Reservoir can operate independently from other proposed statewide water projects like the proposed new Delta Conveyance system.
👉 Learn more here: sitesproject.org/informational-materials/
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Is it ever going to be finished
Such a stupid fact as the Delta Pipeline is at least 100 miles south of this. But to be honest this reservoir is stupid as they have to pump the water from the Sacramento River to it as there is no natural local water source, like a river to dam. Plus LA Water will own 50% of the water rights. I can see this working in high water years when the Sacramento River runs high all year because Shasta Dam is full but what happens in the drought years. What will run dry first the river downstream from the reservoir or this reservoir?
Liar ! Guess who controls it !