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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California’s water future starts here. 💧 Watch this video to learn how Sites will support the Sac Valley way of life. 🔗 Learn more at http://SitesProject.org. #SitesReservoir #WhySites #SitesStartsHere #CaliforniaWater
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Is there enough water in the Sacramento River to support Sites Reservoir? 🤔
Yes! ✅ Sites Reservoir will divert water when flows are high, and all environmental and downstream permit conditions have been met.
Our water availability analysis found that there is enough unappropriated water in the
Sacramento River system to fill Sites Reservoir in addition to existing senior water rights and environmental needs. 💧
Visit the link in our bio to learn more!
California’s water future starts here. 💧 Watch this video to learn how Sites will support the Sac Valley way of life. 🔗 Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio. #SitesReservoir #WhySites #SitesStartsHere #CaliforniaWater
📢Progress Update! We’re excited to announce two major advancements today:
🚧 Shortlisted qualified applicants for the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contract to construct the reservoir and roads portions of the project
📝 Obtained key environmental permits from USFWS and CDFW
Sites Reservoir is one step closer to construction and helping to improve California’s drought resilience.
🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio!
Sites Reservoir is funded by 100% public dollars from local, state, and federal sources.
The constituents served by the public agencies funding the project will directly benefit from increased water supply reliability, as well as the reservoir’s environmental and recreational benefits. 💧
👉 Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio.
Sites Reservoir is designed to capture water from major storms, like atmospheric rivers, and store it for drier periods.
If Sites Reservoir were already operational, we would have captured and stored a significant amount of water for communities, farms, and the environment over the past three wet seasons. 🌧️☀️
👉 Learn more at SitesProject.org.
Sites Reservoir supports the Sacramento Valley way of life. It’s a one-of-a-kind region where family farms, small towns, and the environment work in harmony. 🚜🏪🦆
🔗 Learn more at SitesProject.org.
#SitesReservoir #WhySites #BuildSitesNow #CaliforniaWater
California’s water future starts here. 💧 Watch this video to learn how Sites will support California’s agricultural economy. 🔗 Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio. #SitesReservoir #WhySites #SitesStartsHere #CaliforniaWater
#DidYouKnow: The existing topography of the Sites Reservoir Project site is naturally bowl-shaped and perfectly situated to accommodate a reservoir.
Sites is also designed to primarily utilize local existing facilities and infrastructure to transport water, which also reduces the Project’s footprint.
Learn more at SitesProject.org. Link in bio.
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Is there enough water in the Sacramento River to support Sites Reservoir? 🤔
Yes! ✅ Sites Reservoir will divert water when flows are high, and all environmental and downstream permit conditions have been met.
Our water availability analysis found that there is enough unappropriated water in the Sacramento River system to fill Sites Reservoir in addition to existing senior water rights and environmental needs. 💧
Learn more here: sitesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Sites_Water-Availability-Analysis-Fact-Sheet_6-1-2023...
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Who was the engineer that decided to pump water up hill?
Actually, we pay for the electricity to pump this water uphill into the reservoir.
Disingenuous at best. This project will benefit a few and destroy more!