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 Bird’s-Eye View of California’s Water Future
Join JP Robinette, Engineering and Construction Manager for the Sites Project Authority, for a drone tour of the future Sites Reservoir site. Discover how the project leverages existing water infrastructure to capture water from the Sacramento River and deliver it to our participants. More than just a reservoir, Sites is a climate-resilient investment in California’s future.
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Sites Reservoir will store much-needed water to help California’s farms thrive through dry years, supporting local growers, rural communities and our nation’s food supply. #BuildSitesNow
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Sites Reservoir will store much-needed water to help California’s farms thrive through dry years, supporting local growers, rural communities and our nation’s food supply. #BuildSitesNow
Mary Wells, a longtime Sites Valley resident and founding member of the Sites Project Authority, reflects on 20 years of participation in helping to move Sites Reservoir forward, and the progress made in 2025. #BuildSitesNow #SitesAuthority15
Hear from longtime Sites Valley resident Jamie Traynham as she shares her local perspective on the Sites Reservoir Project and her journey to becoming part of the Sites Project Authority. #BuildSitesNow #SitesAuthority15
All reservoirs emit greenhouse gases (GHG) due to decomposition of organic matter that is submerged underwater, however the Sites Project Authority commits to a “net zero” threshold for GHG emissions over the life of the project.
👉 Learn more at the link in our bio!
Hear from Sacramento City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan as she celebrates the local, state, and federal collaboration driving the Sites Reservoir Project forward and how it will provide reliable water for farmers, families, and communities across California. #SitesAuthority15
Sites Reservoir is being designed and built by Californians, for Californians. Backed by a diverse coalition of water agencies, government entities, and elected officials statewide, it represents a united effort to secure California’s water future. #BuildSitesNow
Kevin Spesert, External Affairs Manager and Maxwell resident, celebrates 15 years of local collaboration and shares his vision for the future of the Sites Reservoir Project. #SitesAuthority15 #BuildSitesNow
Sites Reservoir would provide surface water storage north of the Delta that can enhance opportunities for improved management of salmon habitat.
👉 Learn more at the link in our bio!
Follow Us on Facebook.
Sites Reservoir will store much-needed water to help California’s farms thrive through dry years, supporting local growers, rural communities and our nation’s food supply. #BuildSitesNow
14 CommentsComment on Facebook
I bet 50% of that water will go right to Resnicks, so they can supply Almonds to everywhere but the US!
And help billionaire corporations irrigate their desert planted almond trees, allowing more profits from overseas almond sales. End profit from water sales
Not likely to ever get built. If it does, it will be 20 years out and cost 3-400% of the budgeted amount. It will be plagued by environmental issues, cost overruns and general greed the entire way through.