Good News Flows for Sites Reservoir

With California experiencing more frequent, longer and severe droughts, the Bay Area Council has long advocated for increasing the state’s water storage capacity. So, we were thrilled to hear the announcement today (Feb. 26) from Gov. Newsom that the Trump Administration had released $315 million to help fund construction of the Sites Reservoir northwest of Sacramento and expand the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County. The funding was awarded during the Biden Administration.

The Sites Reservoir will capture water during wet seasons and store it for use during drier seasons – holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply over 4.5 million homes for a year. It has received a total of $46.75 million in early funding from the state. In all, Sites is eligible for $875.4 million of Proposition 1 funding. The Council was a proud proponent of Prop. 1 and supported a package of reforms by Gov. Newsom to streamline critical infrastructure projects like Sites. The total project cost for Sites is estimated at $4 billion. To engage in the Council’s water policy work, please contact Senior Vice President Adrian Covert.