California Water Commission approves $268.9 million funding for Sites Reservoir
COLUSA COUNTY, Calif. — The California Water Commission on Wednesday, June 17, approved $268.9 million in conditional supplemental funding for the Sites Reservoir Project, a proposed water storage project in Colusa County designed to improve water supply reliability, drought preparedness and wildlife habitat support.
The funding, administered through the Commission’s Water Storage Investment Program, is intended to offset inflation-related costs and support additional public benefits associated with the project. The money comes from Proposition 1, approved by voters in 2014, and Proposition 4, approved in 2024.
The Sites Project would create a 1.5 million-acre-foot off-stream reservoir in the Sacramento Valley west of Maxwell. Project officials say the reservoir would capture and store excess Sacramento River flows during wet periods for use during droughts and other water shortages.
According to the commission, the project is expected to provide several public benefits, including reducing potential flood damage in the Maxwell area, supplying water to wildlife refuges, creating recreational opportunities for an estimated 187,000 annual visitors and providing up to 200,000 acre-feet of emergency drought water supplies.
With the additional funding, the project is now eligible for up to $1.363 billion through the Water Storage Investment Program. Before receiving the funding, project proponents must meet several voter-mandated requirements, including securing financing, obtaining permits, completing environmental reviews and finalizing agreements with state agencies overseeing the project’s public benefits.
“The Sites Project proponents have shown consistent progress in making this reservoir come to fruition,” California Water Commission Chair Fern Steiner said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing them complete the statutory requirements so they can come before us for final funding.”
Steiner said the project could help California meet long-term water storage goals outlined in the California Water Plan, which calls for adding 9 million acre-feet of water conservation, water supply or storage capacity statewide by 2040.
The California Water Commission is a nine-member body that advises state leaders on water planning and management issues.
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