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California seeks construction manager for $3 billion reservoir project

  • California seeks construction manager for $3 billion reservoir project
    Credit: Sites Project Authority

About the entity

California is actively seeking a construction manager to oversee the development of the long-planned $3 billion Sites Reservoir in the Sacramento Valley. This major infrastructure project aims to enhance the state's water storage capacity amidst ongoing drought challenges and wildfires in southern California.

The Sites Project Authority, established in 2010, has been working to bring this vision to life, with $800 million in funding secured in 2018, reports Construction Owners Club. The project, which has been in the planning stages since the 1950s, will create an off-stream reservoir spanning approximately 6,000 square kilometers with a depth of 90 meters. Once completed, it will be California's eighth-largest artificial lake, capable of storing enough water to supply 7.5 million people for one year.

The selected firm will manage the project using the construction manager at-risk (CMAR) approach, which involves overseeing both design and construction phases. This method is intended to "optimize project delivery, manage risks, encourage local community collaboration, and provide the best value for project participants," according to the Sites Project Authority.

The project will include the construction of two 90-meter-high main dams, seven saddle dams, and three dikes ranging from 2 to 34 meters in height. Additional infrastructure will feature a concrete spillway, a 400-meter tunnel, and upgrades to 10 kilometers of existing roads.

“This next step in our contracting process marks a critical milestone for Sites Reservoir as it progresses from planning to construction,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “As one of the largest water infrastructure projects currently under development in California, Sites is a significant opportunity to enhance water reliability for the benefit of our communities, farms, and environment.”

Sites Reservoir will provide an additional 1.5 million acre-feet of storage capacity, substantially improving California’s water flexibility, reliability, and resiliency. As an off-stream reservoir, it will capture and store a portion of stormwater from the Sacramento River—after all other water rights and regulatory requirements are met—and release water to California communities, farms, businesses, and wildlife during drier years.

Firms meeting the qualification criteria are invited to submit their statements of qualifications by March 10, highlights Sites. A shortlist of qualified respondents will then be requested to submit detailed proposals and sit for interviews. The awarded firm will undertake a Phase 1 pre-construction services scope in the fall of 2025, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026 and completion expected by 2032.

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