Sites Reservoir Awarded Additional $218.9 Million in Prop 1 Funds
Following California Water Commission Decision
Maxwell, CA – The Sites Project Authority (Authority) appreciates the California Water Commission (Commission) voting unanimously to award the Sites Reservoir Project (Project) $218.9 million in inflationary increase, bringing the new total maximum eligibility for the Project to $1.094 billion. The award is part of an effort by state officials to redistribute funding that was earmarked for the expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir, a project that was halted in November 2024, and allocate Proposition 4 funds dedicated to Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) storage projects. The vote represents confidence in the significant progress being made to begin Project construction in 2026 and be operational by the end of 2032.
“For years we have worked to design a project that balances water availability needs and environmental sustainability while still delivering substantial benefits for California,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “We’re grateful to the California Water Commission for recognizing these benefits that set Sites Reservoir apart and providing a funding boost as we enter the next phase of the project.”
WSIP is funded by Proposition 1, a ballot initiative passed by voters in 2014. The program provides funding for five major water storage projects throughout the state, including Sites Reservoir, that provide public benefits to Californians, such as ecosystem and water quality improvement. In July 2018, the Commission made Maximum Conditional Eligibility Determinations (MCEDs), which set the amount of WSIP funding potentially available to each project; the additional funding was made possible through inflationary adjustments to the Project’s MCED.
Sites Reservoir will increase water supply throughout California and provide, for the first time, environmental benefits by storing water specifically to support native wildlife and their habitat during drought periods. The Project will provide an additional 1.5 million acre-feet of storage capacity, substantially improving the state’s water flexibility, reliability, and resiliency in drier years. The Project is backed by a broad coalition of cities, counties, water agencies, and irrigation districts across California, including the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, and Southern California.
