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| Sites Reservoir | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sites Reservoir |
| Location | Colusa County and Glenn County, California, United States |
| Status | Proposed/Planned |
| Purpose | Irrigation, water supply, flood control, environmental flows |
| Cost | Estimated (varies) |
Sites Reservoir
Sites Reservoir is a proposed offstream water storage project located in the Sacramento Valley of California, near Colusa and Glenn Counties. The project aims to capture winter runoff from tributaries of the Sacramento River and store it in a new reservoir in the California Central Valley for use during dry seasons, droughts, and for environmental flow releases. Sponsors include regional water districts, state agencies, and federal partners seeking to augment the Central Valley Project and State Water Project storage capacity.
The project proposes a 1,500,000 to 1,800,000 acre-foot offstream storage facility situated west of the Sacramento River and east of the Coast Ranges, connected by a series of diversion structures, conveying canals, and pumping plants. Proponents argue it would increase water reliability for agricultural districts such as the Mendota Irrigation District and urban suppliers including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California while providing seasonal flows to support projects under the California Aqueduct and operations coordinated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The proposal has been advanced through CEQA and NEPA processes involving the California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Initial concepts date to mid-20th-century regional studies that examined additional storage in the Central Valley Project era alongside projects like the Friant Dam and Shasta Dam. Renewed interest followed droughts in the early 21st century and policy work by the Delta Stewardship Council and the California Water Commission. Key milestones include feasibility studies by the Sites Project Authority, environmental impact statements prepared with input from the Environmental Protection Agency, and grant awards from programs overseen by the California Natural Resources Agency and the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART program. Stakeholder engagement has included irrigation districts, the Sacramento County government, tribal governments such as the Middletown Rancheria (example of tribal engagement), and environmental NGOs including The Nature Conservancy.
Engineering designs call for multiple embankment dams, saddle dams, inlet channels, pump stations, and a conveyance system linking to the Sacramento River and local canals. Firms with experience on projects like Oroville Dam and New Melones Dam have been cited in design phases. The reservoir footprint lies on foothill geomorphology studied by geotechnical teams familiar with San Andreas Fault regional tectonics and seismic risk frameworks used for dams such as Hungry Horse Dam. Hydrologic modeling uses datasets from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey to simulate runoff variability driven by climate patterns including El Niño–Southern Oscillation and atmospheric river events. Engineering assessments include sedimentation analyses informed by comparisons to Lake Oroville sediment dynamics and pumping energy studies referencing operations at the State Water Project facilities.
Environmental review has examined potential impacts to salmonid populations associated with the Sacramento River and tributaries such as the Butte Creek system, riparian habitats along the Sutter Buttes periphery, and wetlands in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Mitigation proposals include managed flow releases coordinated with the Central Valley Project Improvement Act objectives, habitat restoration in partnership with agencies like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and conservation easements effected with groups such as Ducks Unlimited. Biological assessments reference species listed under the Endangered Species Act including winter-run Chinook salmon and concerns voiced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Water quality modeling addresses temperature and dissolved oxygen changes similar to those considered for Shasta Lake operations.
Operational plans propose capture of high winter runoff for storage and release during summer and multi-year droughts, coordinated with operators of the Shasta Dam and managers of the Sacramento River Water Rights framework. Water allocation policies would involve entities such as the Westlands Water District and municipal agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Water District, with oversight mechanisms drawing on precedents from the California Water Commission and interstate compacts including the Colorado River Compact as governance analogues. Monitoring programs would be implemented using telemetry systems compatible with the California Data Exchange Center and coordinated with NOAA Fisheries for fish passage timing.
Financing options considered include state bond funding similar to past measures approved by California voters, federal grants from programs administered by the Bureau of Reclamation, and cost-sharing among participating agencies such as regional irrigation districts and water retailers like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Governance has been proposed through a multi-jurisdictional authority modeled after arrangements such as the Bay-Delta Authority or joint powers authorities used by California water projects. Economic analyses reference benefits-cost frameworks applied in assessments of projects like Sites Project-adjacent proposals and crediting mechanisms under state water resilience initiatives administered by the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank.
Debate centers on tradeoffs between increased storage capacity and environmental impacts on ecosystems and fisheries, with positions voiced by agricultural associations including the California Farm Bureau Federation and environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife. Indigenous groups and tribal governments have raised concerns drawing from precedents in engagements over Klamath River restoration and federal trust responsibilities. Critics cite cost uncertainties similar to those experienced by the Oroville Dam spillway crisis and question water allocation fairness referenced in litigation before the California Supreme Court and federal courts. Public outreach has included town halls in communities like Colusa and media coverage from outlets such as the Sacramento Bee.
Category:Water infrastructure in California Category:Reservoirs in California