Sites Reservoir Awarded Additional $268.9 Million in Conditional Proposition 1 Funding
Maxwell, CA – Today, the Sites Project Authority (Authority) announced that the California Water Commission (Commission) unanimously awarded the Sites Reservoir Project (Project) an additional $268.9 million in conditional funding through the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP). The award increases the Project’s total WSIP conditional funding eligibility to approximately $1.363 billion, making Sites Reservoir the largest Proposition 1 water storage investment in California.
“This unanimous vote is another powerful vote of confidence in Sites Reservoir and the critical role it will play in California’s water future,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “California faces a fundamental imperative: we must capture more water during wet years and make it available during drought. Sites Reservoir is one of the state’s most important opportunities to do exactly that.”
WSIP, funded through Proposition 1, supports water storage projects that deliver measurable public benefits. This additional funding accounts for inflation and a new emergency response benefit, allowing Sites Reservoir to provide dedicated water supplies to participating agencies and communities during declared drought emergencies.
The unanimous decision underscores the urgency of expanding California’s water storage capacity as the state adapts to increasingly extreme weather patterns. Sites Reservoir would capture water during major storm events and atmospheric rivers, providing greater reliability for communities, agriculture, and the environment during dry periods. The Project would also improve operational flexibility for state and federal water systems while delivering significant environmental benefits for fish, wildlife, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem.
The additional funding also comes as the State Water Resources Control Board considers a Draft Water Right Decision and Permit for the Project.
“Sites Reservoir has earned broad support from local, state, and federal partners because of the public benefits it will deliver,” Durst added. “After years of planning, environmental review, permitting, and investment, the finish line is now within sight. Delivering those benefits requires a water right that allows the Project to operate as designed and remain affordable, buildable, and capable of fulfilling its promise to California.”
