SACRAMENTO, California — The future of California water storage reached a major milestone Thursday with the finalization for plans of the Sites Reservoir in Northern California.
The reservoir would be the second largest off-stream reservoir in the nation and would increase Northern California’s water storage capacity by up to 15%, according to a press release from the Bureau of Reclamation.
It will deliver water to beneficiaries primarily during dry periods or drought.
The project area is about an hour north of Sacramento, situated between the Sacramento Valley to the east and the mountainous portion of the Coast Range on the west. It's currently being used for livestock and cattle grazing.
The original plans had the reservoir at 1.9 million acre feet, but was reduced to 1.5 million following an economic feasibility review. For reference, Folsom Lake has the ability to store just under 1 million acre feet and Shasta can hold over 4.5 million acre feet.
“This is a really big step forward for the Sites project and another example of how state and federal agencies are working together to build our water resilience amidst climate change,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “Sites Reservoir promises to help us adjust to intensifying floods and droughts by storing water in big, wet winters like we just had for use during the dry years that we know will return."
The project is expected to cost around $3.5 billion, according to sitesproject.org. The project is expected to be completed by 2030 or 2031.
“Sites Reservoir is a new way of managing water that will adapt to our changing climate and provide a more reliable water supply for California’s communities, farms, and environment,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Bureau of Reclamation, which exemplifies the spirit of collaboration that’s been a hallmark of Sites Reservoir.”
