California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the long-planned Sites Reservoir project is moving ahead with additional funding aimed at addressing rising costs and accelerating construction.
The California Water Commission has approved nearly $219 million in new funding for the project, which is intended to increase the state’s water storage capacity in the face of a hotter, drier climate and recurring droughts. The money accounts for inflation and construction cost increases tied to project delays.
“We can’t wait to protect our state from water shortages – there are 40 million Californians depending on us,” Newsom said in a statement. “I am pleased to see the Sites Reservoir project move forward with additional funding, and urge the Legislature to continue to make our state’s water future a priority. Each day that we delay these projects costs our state more money. The Legislature has an opportunity to make history by fast-tracking critical water infrastructure that will ensure we are resilient against droughts and can continue delivering necessary water – a basic human right — to all Californians.”
The Sites Reservoir, located west of the Sacramento Valley, is designed to capture and store up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water from the Sacramento River during wet years for use in drier periods
The Sites Reservoir, located west of the Sacramento Valley, is designed to capture and store up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water from the Sacramento River during wet years for use in drier periods. Officials say the capacity would be enough to supply more than 4.5 million households for a year.
With the new funding, the project becomes eligible for up to $1.094 billion from Proposition 1, a water bond measure approved by voters in 2014. The overall project is expected to cost as much as $6.8 billion, with about $780 million anticipated from federal sources.
The reservoir is part of the Governor’s broader water resilience strategy, which also includes the Delta Conveyance Project, a proposed tunnel system designed to move water south through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Newsom has backed legislation to fast-track that project, which state officials say could have captured enough water for nearly 10 million people during last year’s atmospheric river storms.
California has experienced more volatile swings between drought and flooding in recent decades as climate change reshapes weather patterns, according to state reports. Newsom’s administration argues that accelerating water infrastructure projects like Sites and the Delta Conveyance Project will help buffer the state’s 40 million residents against future shortages.
