Project EIR/EIS

The Sites Project Authority is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act for preparation of an Environmental Impact Report on the proposal to construct and operate a new offstream water storage reservoir and associated facilities.

The Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR), which was released as a joint Final EIR/Environmental Impact Statement with the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead federal agency, evaluates and describes the environmental effects and proposed mitigation measures associated with construction and operation of the Sites Reservoir Project. It includes updates to the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIR/SDEIS), released in 2021, to reflect changes to the Project and to address public comments received during the review period.

CEQA Record of Proceeding
The record of proceeding, also called the administrative record, for the Sites Reservoir Project California Environmental Quality Act effort is available consistent with Senate Bill 149. The entire record was certified within 5 days of certification of the Project’s Final Environmental Impact Report. The record is organized consistent with the 2023 California Rules of Court.

View the CEQA Record Of Proceeding page here.

Certification Under Senate Bill 149
The Sites Reservoir Project has been certified as an infrastructure project by the Governor under Senate Bill No. 149. This requires the Sites Project Authority, as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act, to issue a public notice of the certification using the language below:

THE APPLICANT HAS ELECTED TO PROCEED UNDER CHAPTER 7 (COMMENCING WITH SECTION 21189.80) OF DIVISION 13 OF THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE, WHICH PROVIDES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT ANY JUDICIAL ACTION CHALLENGING THE CERTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR) OR THE APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT DESCRIBED IN THE EIR IS SUBJECT TO THE PROCEDURES SET FORTH IN SECTIONS 21189.85 AND 21189.86 OF THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE. A COPY OF CHAPTER 7 (COMMENCING WITH SECTION 21189.80) OF DIVISION 13 OF THE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE IS INCLUDED BELOW.

To view a copy of Chapter 7 of Division 13 of the Public Resources Code, visit the California Legislative Information website.

2023-2024 Sites Reservoir Test Pits, Fault Studies and Quarry Studies

The Sites Project Authority is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act for preparation of environmental documents for Sites Reservoir Test Pits, Fault Studies and Quarry Studies in Glenn, Colusa, and Yolo Counties. The purpose of this effort is to conduct field investigations to obtain data needed to formulate and refine the engineering design and to assist in the preparation of permit applications for the proposed Sites Reservoir and associated facilities in western Sacramento Valley. Test pits would provide information regarding the quantity and quality of borrow materials at proposed quarry locations, as well as information regarding pipeline trench stability; fault studies would provide information in areas of suspected and known fault traces/zones; and quarry studies would provide information on quantity and quality of borrow materials.

On September 23, 2022, the Sites Project Authority released the Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the 2023-2024 Sites Reservoir Test Pits, Fault Studies and Quarry Studies (IS/MND) for a 30-day public review, and a Notice of Completion was posted to the State Clearinghouse website.

The review period ended on October 24, 2022, and comments were received from four public agencies. Responses to those comments have been included in a Final IS/MND. The Sites Project Authority Board adopted the 2023-2024 Sites Reservoir Test Pits, Fault Studies and Quarry Studies Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and approved the Project on Friday, December 16, 2022. A Notice of Determination was filed with the Glenn, Colusa, and Yolo county clerks and posted to the State Clearinghouse website on Friday, December 16, 2022.