The Sites Reservoir a $4.4 billion project to add dams and store more water that'll be sent south is still years away from completion. Located in the Sacramento Valley, Sites Reservoir would divert water from the already over-tapped Trinity and Sacramento Rivers and flood a 13,200-acre area containing cultural resources, wetlands . action coincided with Reclamations release of the final acre-feet to 243,000 acre-feet. Sites Reservoir is last proposed dam project being considered in - KRCR During periods of high precipitation and runoff, Sacramento River water would be pumped into Sites, then released back into the river as needed for agriculture, residential use or to maintain flows for fish. Youll receive your first NRDC action alert and update email soon! and Glenn-Colusa canals, as well as a new pumping station on the This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. reservoir-induced impacts to special status species and cultural values should be quantified in the EIS IEll{. Sites Reservoir - Wikipedia What's taking so long to build a California reservoir? - CalMatters Jerry Brown (not the former governor of the same name) of the Sites Project Authority, which represents local water districts pursuing the project, said it takes many years to develop and plan projects of this scale. endangered salmon and improve water quality conditions in the The study is evaluating reservoir sizes from 1.27 MAF to 1.8 MAF, with a preliminary analysis determining benefits to be from $248.8 to $276.2 million. Director, California River Restoration, Water Division, Nature Program. [citation needed], Approval of the project feasibility by the California Water Commission in December 2021 meant that the project stays eligible to receive more than $800 million in public funding. Biologist Carson Jeffres is on the fence about the project. About NCWA The reservoir's slow pace of progress doesn't surprise leaders and water supply experts. The Sites reservoir saves us billions and billions that would be spent on desalination, Kightlinger said. Appendix 8A: Groundwater Resources. Sites would make a small splash in Californias water supply: It would add only about 1.5 million acre-feet to major reservoirs that now hold about 50 million acre-feet. Last century, California built dozens of large dams, creating the elaborate reservoir system that supplies the bulk of the states drinking and irrigation water. The saddle dams, though not as tall, will be huge features, as well: One is sketched out in planning documents at 3,422 feet in length. Building all of these features will account for much of the reservoirs $4 billion price tag. In fact, the average annual estimated quantities of available water exceed Sites Reservoir's average annual needs by 3 to almost 4.5 times, based on highly conservative methodologies in analyzing the data and after considering the effects of a changing climate and other anticipated future changed conditions.". Among changes to lessen the environmental impact, the reservoirs capacity has been downsized from 1.8 million acre-feet to 1.5 million. County:Glenn and Colusa In dry and critical years, Sites Reservoir would provide help to Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 and be completed in 2030. Nevertheless, the strong possibility of a federal loan is a huge step forward. Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 02:26, "The Sites Reservoir currently on track to break ground in 2024", "Sites Reservoir still on tract to break ground in 2024", "California Reservoir, With Estimated $3.9B Cost, Gains Funding Approval", "Sites Reservoir: a 1950s vision finally taking shape", "A History of Drought in California: Learning From the Past, Looking to the Future", http://www.water.ca.gov/storage/docs/NODOS%20Project%20Docs/NODOS_Prelim_Admin_Draft_EIR/00-ES-Executive_Summary_prelim_admin_draft_Dec2013_w_table.pdf, "Sites Reservoir: A long time in coming, a long way to go", "5 things to know about the proposed Sites Reservoir", "Massive Northern California reservoir project scaled back to reduce costs", "Amid drought, California advances big new reservoir project", "Water Storage Investment Program Project Review Portal", "California's largest reservoir project in decades gets an $800 million boost. Dan Walters brings his passion for government transparency to issues affecting Californians. Homes and other structures in the small Sacramento Valley town of Sites will be removed when the Sites Reservoir is built. Sites Reservoir The Project would use existing infrastructure to . Stone Corral Creek, shown here on on Feb. 14, will be about 200 feet underwater when the Sites Reservoir is built in the western Sacramento Valley. The project is included as part of the proposed solutions to the State's water supply challenges in Governor Newsom's 2019 Water . Brown said the availability of preexisting canals makes the project viable. The town was named for All Rights Reserved. But that means that in most future droughts, there will not be a lot of water in storageand even less once biologically credible bypass flows and environmental protections are required. In May, the Sites authority is releasing its final report addressing the potential environmental impacts. The Sites Reservoir currently on track to break ground in 2024 As flow increases, so does survival. These include: Colusa County Water District, Glenn Status: Final Preparer: Warner Herson Phase: 2 Revision: Filename: Appx M ENV-REP-Environmental Feasibility Summary Appendix (003).docx Reviewer: Forsythe Date: September 22, 2020 . The Sites Project Authority is proposing to develop the Sites Reservoir Project (Project), a 1.5 million acre-feet surface water reservoir that would divert water from the Sacramento River when excess water is available for diversion. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The likelihood of a $2.2 billion federal loan increases the possibility that the Sites Reservoir, a vital step in protecting Californias water supply, will be constructed. New and existing facilities would transfer water into and out of the reservoir, with ultimate release back to the Sacramento River system via existing canals and a new pipeline located near the town of Dunnigan. 2014-2020Rural County Representatives of California. Sites Reservoir is an environmentally beneficial, off-river reservoir that will capture excess water from major storms and save it for drier periods, helping California's farms, businesses and cities continue to supply reliable water when other sources are low. 501(c)3 organization, federal tax ID #942419885. Sites Reservoir Project | California State Water Resources Control Board for a reservoir with a capacity of 1.5 million acre-feet (down from the original 1.8 Water released from Sites Reservoir would be used for irrigation, domestic consumption, and fish and wildlife. Public comments are not being taken at this time; there will be an opportunity for public comment when the upcoming draft feasibility report is released. Pryor, at the Zone 7 Water Agency, said she understands the need for a cautiously paced planning stage for a mega-project like Sites. SCH Number. Sacramento CA 95833, Everything about California water that matters, Western States Water Agencies and Districts, North-of-Delta Offstream Storage irrigation districts across the state that are investing in a It would have a capacity of up to 1.8 million acre-feet of water, about half the size of the states Lake Oroville, but unlike Oroville, would not dam a major river. Appendix 9A: Special-Status Plant . would provide a natural barrier to the basin and facilitate the Project(SWP) and federal Central Valley Project. Elon Musk applies temporary limits on reading Twitter posts Water pumped into the lake would be used to supplement flows into the delta or allow deeper, colder reservoirs to hold back water for critical salmon runs. Project Manager He began his professional career in 1960, at age 16, at the Humboldt Times As a result, the Authority, in its role as the lead agency, will revise and recirculate its Draft EIR and work with landowners, tribes, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and local communities to conduct a collaborative environmental review process. The Authority will also coordinate with the Bureau of Reclamation to confirm the appropriate approach to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. Contact; Board Meeting Information; Toggle navigation. DELTA STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL: Certification of consistency filed for Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project. Everyone is welcome to research, learn, and stay informed about California's most precious resource -- water. Dan Walters brings transparency to government. Sites Dam, the larger of the two would stand about Thats at the reservoir, he said. Second, in large part due to these costs, the Westlands Water District, Kern County Water Agency, and most other irrigation districts south of the Delta are not paying for Sites and will not get any water from the project (a few irrigation districts south of the Delta have very small shares in the project, like the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District, which would get less than 1.6% of the total water supply from the project). You can find the report and other associated documents by clicking here. [20], According to "Final Feasibility Report" submitted by the Bureau of Reclamation in December 2020: "A substantial portion of the projects water would be specifically dedicated to environmental uses, helping to improve conditions for Delta smelt, preserving the cold-water pool in Lake Shasta to support salmon development, spawning and rearing, and providing a reliable water supply to improve the habitat for migratory birds and other native species." Last week, the federal Environmental Protection Agency invited sponsors of the Sites Reservoir project, which has been on the back burner for decades, to apply for a $2.2 billion loan that would cover roughly 40% of the projects estimated cost. includes a reservoir committee made up of water agencies and "For any large gray infrastructure project, permitting and planning are stages that take time," said Nina Hawk, chief of Bay-Delta Resources for the Metropolitan Water District, which has chipped in about $30 million for Sites planning. As a result, water from Sites is likely to cost more than $700 per acre foot on averageand that cost estimate does not include the additional costs to move water through the Delta, to pay to move water down the California Aqueduct and/or other canals, and the costs of water treatment for municipal and industrial users.
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