Saratoga, California — Plans for California's largest new surface water storage initiative in modern state history moved closer to construction this week following a key regulatory milestone. The Sites Project Authority announced that updated state water-rights provisions can support a viable project, clearing the off-stream reservoir to advance into its formal investment phase ahead of a final permit vote before the State Water Resources Control Board scheduled for November 4.
Located in the Sacramento Valley, Sites Reservoir is designed as an off-stream storage facility engineered to harvest high-volume seasonal runoff from the Sacramento River watershed, preserving that volume for distribution across dry summer months. State officials project the reservoir will establish a storage ceiling of 1.5 million acre-feet, representing enough reserves to sustain approximately 4.5 million households across a typical year while bolstering emergency supplies during severe droughts.
"California is moving with urgency to build the water infrastructure our changing climate demands. Sites Reservoir will help us capture more water when storms bring it, store it for when communities, farms, and the environment need it most, and strengthen our resilience to drought, floods, and a changing climate." — Governor Gavin Newsom
The development has qualified for upwards of $1.36 billion in public bond funding through the Water Storage Investment Program under Proposition 1 and Proposition 4, bolstered by nearly $269 million in supplemental state commitments approved earlier this year. The project previously received streamlined judicial review under California Environmental Quality Act statutes, allowing rapid resolution of environmental review disputes.