Local Blogs Sites Reservoir: Californias drought insurance, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Sites Reservoir: Californias drought insurance policy, 40% consider leaving? In fact, if Sites Reservoir were constructed and operational over these past few years, we would have a million acre-feet of water stored for use today to help mitigate the impacts we are currently experiencing during this very difficult drought situation. The birds of our Pacific Flyway are counting on us. The Sites Reservoir project is not going to solve all of our problems, said Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Reservoir Authority, and who is not related to the former Califonria governor with the same name. John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association, noted that few, if any, of Californias dams have been beneficial for Chinook salmon. There was a big hiccup last year, too, when the State Water Resources Control Board ruled that the projects application for water rights did not adequately analyze water availability. 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. When it comes to water, the great equalizer to all uncertainty is storage, said Bob Tincher, the districts chief water resources officer. Salmon benefits will be realized through the coordination of water releases from Northern Californias existing network of reservoirs. This facility would provide multiple benefits to improve aquatic habitat conditions and withstand dry year conditions. The birds of our Pacific Flyway are counting on us. Another water district, the Zone 7 Water Agency that serves 270,000 people in the East Bay, would receive about 10,000 acre-feet annually from Sites, increasing its supply about 20%. Its also the type of bountiful year that would fill Sites Reservoir, which would hold a critical backup supply of water for dry years. It would harness winter flood flows from the Sacramento River, divert the water west and pump it into a deep, 14,000-acre reservoir formed in the Antelope Valley. It is designed to capture the excess water from big storms and save that water for dry years. 1, a water bond that authorized $2.7 billion for new storage projects. U.S. Crime If we do absolutely nothing, I can guarantee you things will get worse.. Mixing concrete for the dams could require as much as a million gallons of water per day for four years. California Voice: Pacific Flyway birds are counting on state to honor Due to drought, Californias few remaining Central Valley wetlands suffered from limited water, depriving birds of important habitat when they needed it most. Mike Conroy, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens Assns., describes the reservoir proposal as an expensive water grab that benefits Californias most wasteful water brokers, not average Californians.. Californias reservoirs are a crucial source of drinking water for the states nearly 40 million residents, help maintain necessary flows in rivers for fish, and irrigate Californias robust agricultural industry that grows a third of the countrys vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts. Sites Reservoir Project Gets Boost From California Regulators What's taking so long to build a California reservoir? - CalMatters The Sites project calls for the construction of two large dams up to 310 feet high, as well as nine smaller saddle dams. Climate change models suggest California will see longer, drier droughts and shorter but more intense wet periods a pattern that has emerged prominently in the past several years. Worsening drought has renewed interest in a proposal to transform Sites Valley, about 70 miles northwest of Sacramento, into a $4-billion reservoir. 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. Proponents say the Sites Reservoir is a necessary step to bolster Californias water supply, which is increasingly strained by drought as well as intense wet weather and flooding. 1, a water . Opinion: Why California needs to build Sites, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Levis Stadium soccer match stabbing suspect arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, Opinion: Why California needs to build Sites Reservoir project, Editorial: Kill the Delta tunnel boondoggle before its too late, Central US now getting worst of the drought, Letters: Delta death | New beds | Truth on homelessness | Study the science | Veterinary telehealth, $52 million in new funding to restore health of San Francisco Bay, An emotional moment: Demolition of first Klamath River dam begins. Trip Guide. This would ease the pressure on other water sources in times of drought. The Sites reservoir saves us billions and billions that would be spent on desalination, Kightlinger said. The circumstance we find ourselves in today is a prime example of why we need to build Sites Reservoir now. Provisional data, subject to change. We need to advance water recycling projects, increase conservation and develop more capacity to store water. However, with every drought and deluge that comes, the reservoirs absence is sorely felt. Local, Latest Sites Reservoir is a generational opportunity to construct a multi-benefit water storage project that helps restore flexibility, reliability, and resiliency to Californias water supply. Sites Reservoir Project - CEQAnet DON PEDRO RESERVOIR (DNP) - cdec.water.ca.gov My personal rule of thumb is that for every year of construction you spend about three years in the planning-permitting-engineering stage, he said. Across the continent, many types of birds have been on the decline. Last century, California built dozens of large dams, creating the elaborate reservoir system that supplies the bulk of the states drinking and irrigation water. For her, its not a matter of whether to fill the valley with storm water, but how deep and how fast. 49:44. Its become their solution to climate change.. The Deltas state and federal systems export an average of 4 to 5 million acre-feet a year. If Sites Reservoir had been in place during that time, not only could we have avoided many of those flooding impacts, but we also would have captured and stored much of this excess runoff for use in a dry year like we are currently experiencing. And with the January storms we had, we were thinking, Wouldnt it be great if Sites was here?. 16, The Case for Sites Part I: Mary Wells, Sites area rancher, California Rice Podcast: Ingrained Ep. The reservoir is one of seven water storage projects scheduled to receive funding from a voter-approved bond in 2014. Amid drought, California advances big new reservoir project Sites Reservoir is specifically designed to store the water generated by these storm events for use during times of drought when the water is so desperately needed. Sites Reservoir Project is an offstream water storage enhancement to the California water system that will provide multiple environmental benefits to improve aquatic habitat conditions and withstand dry year conditions. So far this year, 370,000 acres of crops have been fallowed on the western side of the Sacramento Valley, primarily in Colusa and Glenn counties, the commission said. But not waterfowl. The Sites Reservoir Project would be a 1.5 million acre-foot offstream surface storage reservoir located in the Sacramento Valley west of the town of Maxwell. Two large dams would contain the water, along with seven structures called saddle dams, which will close in the northern side of the basin like the rim of a large bowl. Most of Californias major reservoirs are connected to rivers and rely on gravity to fill them with water that comes from snowmelt in the mountains. In May, the Sites authority is releasing its final report addressing the potential environmental impacts. Sites Reservoir Project. California needs to break ground on Sites Reservoir. This would ease the pressure on other water sources in times of drought. Zakaria: Russias Biggest Problem Isnt the War. Water, Featured It's slated to get $836 million in taxpayer money to help cover it's $3.9 billion price tag if project officials can meet a deadline by year's end. The plan is to build a new lake in Northern California that, when full, could hold enough water to supply 3 million households for one year. But in a brief written statement they said before a water right is granted, the board must ensure that instream flows necessary for the protection of water quality, fish and wildlife in the Delta can be met sustainably., At this point we are at the finish line with what we intend to proceed with, Brown said. Still, environmentalists have questioned the reservoirs feasibility and operation: Will there be enough water to fill it? He was on the team of L.A. Times writers that earned the Pulitzer Prize in public service for a series on Latinos in Southern California and the team that was a finalist in 2015 for the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news. The vote is a major milestone for the reservoir, one of seven water storage projects now eligible to receive public money from a 2014 voter-approved bond. Operating under the public-private joint powers authority, it would contain, at capacity, 1.5 million acre-feet of water and would be available to investors for consumption, sale or lease. Agricultural fields in California's Tulare Lake Basin could be While located in the Sacramento Valley, the significant benefits associated with Sites Reservoir will accrue statewide. Its time to build Sites now. California has not built a major new reservoir since 1979. Pryor, at the Zone 7 Water Agency, said she understands the need for a cautiously paced planning stage for a mega-project like Sites. Rice fields enrich the biodiversity of the region by providing habitat for more than 225 different species, and they are extremely important for the Pacific Flyways waterfowl. This has resulted in a predictably unreliable and unsustainable water management system during periods of drought. Sites Reservoir is specifically designed to store the water generated by these storm events for use during times of drought when the water is so desperately needed. Farmers contend that harvesting the Sacramento Rivers storm water is critical to their economic survival. Extensive modeling has indicated that Sites Reservoir actually performs better, and provides even greater water supply benefits to farms, people, and the environment of California, under even the most challenging climate change scenarios. During storms it will fill with water, which will be delivered via canals and pipelines. Still, Sites Reservoir remains almost a decade away: Acquisition of water rights, permitting and environmental review are still in the works. This is where Sites Reservoir comes in. Sites would help sustain migratory bird habitats and add needed flexibility to Californias overtaxed water-delivery system on which wildlife-friendly farming depends. Jeffres, a senior researcher at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, said the impact will depend on how and when water is diverted from the Sacramento River to fill it. If Sites Reservoir had been in place during that time, not only could we have avoided many of those flooding impacts, but we also could have captured and stored much of this excess runoff for use in a dry year like we are currently experiencing. Fresno Pastor Praises Mandate Exemption. The reservoir would capture and store stormwater flows from the Sacramento River for later release by beneficiaries throughout the state of California. Now is the time to get the job done and fulfill the voters' wishes. He worries that filling the reservoir could drain the floodplains along the river used by fish and wildlife. California needs to break ground on Sites Reservoir. Sites Reservoir - Wikipedia Finally, progress on vital Sites Reservoir project - CalMatters Hollywood Tax Credits Far Outpace Support for States Distressed Hospitals. 2,851 mi. Further, our aging and insufficient water infrastructure was developed prior to the population boom California has experienced over the last half century and is now being stressed beyond its capabilities. Beyond that, the trees spread across 377 acres of land stopped producing almonds after the region was hit by frost in February. PDF Factsheet: Sites Reservior - Bureau of Reclamation Gov. A long-dead proposal to flood a bucolic valley north of Sacramento and create a massive reservoir for thirsty Southern California is finding new life and opposition amid the effects of climate change . I would hope that you would take into consideration the huge detriment that this will be to the salmon and native people.. 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Sites Reservoir Location View Photo Sacramento, CA A major boost was given today to a long-delayed plan to build a giant reservoir in Northern California to help the region to withstand. Doug Obegi, a water attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said theres simply not enough water left in the Sacramento River most years to operate Sites without causing more harm to critically endangered fish. Yes, this exceptionally wet winter saved our birds, but we cant count on winters like that every year. The Sites Reservoir planned in a remote corner of the western Sacramento Valley for at least 40 years has been gaining steam and support since 2014, when voters approved Prop. It provides a new off-stream water storage facility that integrates perfectly into our current water management system. As reservoirs across California meet historic lows, we are again faced with the reality of not enough water for the environment, farms and people. Instead, the project must pump water from the nearby Sacramento River. Once built, the reservoirs water will cost about $750 per acre-foot, according to Brown. California Moves Slowly on Water Projects Amid Drought However, with prudent investments in necessary water infrastructure, theimpacts from the intermittent droughts that California experiences can be greatly mitigated and more effectively managed. Sites is designed to help the environment, as well as people and farms. Our organizations support Sites Reservoir because it benefits the environment, people, businesses and farms and Sites Reservoir has broad statewide support that starts with participants right in the proposed project areas backyard. Its Losing the 21st Century. Users can click on each reservoir to access more detailed information, including . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up to receive our weekly blog and social media newsletter. Sites Reservoir is an insurance policy for future droughts. This is the sort of pendular weather pattern that Sites is being designed to take advantage of, by grabbing water when its abundant. Designed to integrate, augment and improve our existing water infrastructure, no other storage project currently contemplated can positively affect our statewide water system like Sites Reservoir. This water also could be spread on the landscape in the winter to provide food and a safe haven for young salmon. The California Department of Water Resources provides an interactive map of water levels for 12 major reservoirs in California. News, Featured While located in the Sacramento Valley, the significant benefits associated with Sites Reservoir will accrue statewide. The Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority is comprised of 17 water contractors spanning four counties (Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, and Yolo) along the west side of the Sacramento Valley, with a service area of 150,000 acres, producing over $250 million in crops per year, and contributing over $1 billion to our regional economy annually. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, one of many potential investors, might get as much as 20% of the reservoirs water. Its not an exaggeration to say that Californias Sacramento Valley rice farms are one of the main reasons why the Wests waterfowl populations buck a troubling trend. For years, state lawmakers, farm representatives and city water suppliers have bemoaned that the reservoir hasnt been built yet, and their criticism has escalated during rainy periods. The Sites Project Authority resubmitted a more thorough analysis in January and is now waiting for the board to issue a water right that will allow the reservoir to divert water. This Texas Homeless Village Inspires California Replicas: Art, Movies, Fishing Pond, Stalemate: UPS Contract Talks Break Down With Each Side Blaming the Other, Suspicious Powder Found at the White House Was Cocaine, Sources Say, US Citizenship Test Changes Are Coming, Raising Concerns for Those With Low English Skills, Ransomware Criminals Are Dumping Kids Private Files Online After School Hacks, Conservatives Go to Red States and Liberals Go to Blue as the Country Grows More Polarized, Ukraine, Russia Accuse Each Other of Planning to Attack Europes Biggest Nuclear Plant, China Dismisses Criticism of Top Diplomats Comments Appearing to Push for Race-Based Alliance, Israel Ends West Bank Raid, Calling It a Blow to Militants. The controversy has transformed the western Sacramento River valley into a battleground. Sites Reservoir is specifically designed to store the water generated by these storm events for use during times of drought when the water is so desperately needed. Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report/ Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement The proposed Sites Reservoir Project (Project) consists of the construction and operation of a new offstream surface water reservoir with a capacity of approximately 1.3-1.5 million acre-feet. Sites Reservoir would store as much as 1.5 million acre-feet of Sacramento River water and could eventually boost water supplies especially in dry years for more than 24 million people, mostly in Southern California, and 500,000 acres of Central Valley farmland. I see so much potential and so much peril at the same time, Jeffres said. The California Water Commission on Wednesday said the project is feasible, meaning it has met all of the requirements to remain eligible for public funding. Thanks to an exceptionally wet winter, for the first time in years, farms and cities are receiving their full water supply because theres more than enough to meet the needs of people and the environment. And the benefits go well beyond agriculture. Thats because, they say, it would help justify spending about $20 billion to move fresh water through the tunnel from Northern California to the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. Energy to pump water into the reservoir a lift of 300 feet will come from hydroelectricity generated by the dams outflow, plus a planned solar array. We are full-steam ahead.. The water stored in the reservoir could then be saved for environmental uses when its needed most. The boards decision on our application will make or break this project, said Jerry Brown, the authoritys executive director. Copyright 2023, Northern California Water Association, Home If Sites Reservoir was operational over these past few years, we would have nearly one million acre-feet of water stored for use today. Unfortunately, the states eighth-largest reservoir remains a dream unfulfilled, nearly a decade after voters approved the $7.1 billion Proposition 1 water bond that allocated hundreds of millions of dollars toward building Sites. 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. Cities and water agencies from across California, as well as our federal and state partners, are collaborating to make Sites Reservoir, and these resulting benefits a reality. Other big tasks include buying land from local owners, ripping out a country road, demolishing structures, removing septic systems, clearing trees, scouring out mountains of topsoil and distributing it to local farms, and relocating two private cemeteries. Portal Login. Sites would be different from most of Californias other large reservoirs. Weve rightsized the project over the last two years, achieving a responsible balance between the potential effects of diverting water in wet years compared to the benefits of storing and releasing water for dry years. Jeff McCreary is director of operations for Ducks Unlimited's western region. Sites Reservoir water supplies can be used first, allowing snowmelt-fed reservoirs like Shasta, Oroville, and Folsom to hold onto cold water supplies for later release when its most beneficial for salmon runs and the Delta. For each reservoir, the current water level (updated daily) is shown along with the historical average and the total reservoir capacity. Gavin Newsom deserves recognition for wanting to speed up environmentally friendly infrastructure projects, such as Sites. However, this snowpack has become less reliable due to the effects of climate change. But whether it will benefit the environment or not is being debated. Brown said the availability of preexisting canals makes the project viable. Severe droughts have strained the states supply and renewed calls for more ways to capture and store water from the states major rivers and streams instead of letting it flow to the ocean. The board determined that the Sites analysis failed to assess or consider these changes. Local Education. Sierra Club California also warns that the reservoir, about 10 miles west of the small town of Maxwell and Interstate 5, would facilitate development of the controversial Delta Conveyance Project, a.k.a. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. Drought: California regulators advance major reservoir project Valerie Pryor is the general manager of the Zone 7 Water Agency. Further, our aging and insufficient water infrastructure was developed prior to the population boom California has experienced over the last half century and is now being stressed beyond its capabilities. Sites Reservoir - Water Education Foundation The Sites Reservoir is a proposed $5.2-billion offstream reservoir project west of Colusa in the Sacramento Valley of northern California, to be built by the California Department of Water Resources. Economy The reservoir inundation area would be in rural, unincorporated areas of Glenn and . Sites Reservoir is a potential new offstream reservoir that would be located about 78 miles northwest of Sacramento in the eastern foothills of the California Coast Range. Environmental and tribal groups complained that the Water Commission acted prematurely in saying the project was feasible, especially since environmental reviews required by state and federal law have not been completed. This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades The plan is to build a new lake in Northern California that, when full, could hold enough water to supply 3 million households for one year. The last three dry years, we were thinking, Wouldnt it be great if Sites was here? she said. Privacy Policy He can be reached at alastair@calmatters.org. Conservation organizations like Ducks Unlimited support Sites Reservoir because of the benefits it would provide to the millions of migratory birds that stop in the Central Valley on their journey along the Pacific Flyway. Alcohol Believed a Factor in July 4 Clovis Pedestrian Death. 16, The Case for Sites Part IV: Jerry Brown, Sites Project Authority Executive Director, (530) 438-2309 Wednesday's vote by the California Water Commission means the lake named Sites Reservoir is eligible for about $800 million in taxpayer money, or about 20% of the project's price tag. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Wednesdays vote by the California Water Commission means the lake named Sites Reservoir is eligible for about $800 million in taxpayer money, or about 20% of the projects price tag. Maxwell, CA 95955, Copyright Sites Reservoir Authority. Jeff McCreary is director of operations for Ducks Unlimiteds western region. The. A long-dead proposal to flood a bucolic valley north of Sacramento and create a massive reservoir for thirsty Southern California is finding new life and opposition amid the effects of climate change and worsening drought. If permitted, the first major new reservoir built in California since 1999 would be owned and operated by a group of Central Valley agricultural interests and water districts. Victim IDd. Contact; Board Meeting Information . Amid a severe drought, California regulators on Wednesday advanced what could be the states first major new water storage project in years despite warnings it would hasten the extinction of an endangered salmon species while disrupting the cultural traditions of some native tribes. But Sites would be whats called an off-channel reservoir, built away from the river. The circumstance we find ourselves in today is a prime example of why we need to build Sites Reservoir now. He is a former board member of CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California and author of the book Master of the Mysteries: The Life of Manly Palmer Hall.. But Sites Reservoir is! National wildlife refuges will receive only 15% to 18% of their usual water supplies late in the season. Jeff Sutton is vice chair of the Sites Project Authority and general manager of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority. BiologistCarson Jeffresis on the fence about the project. All I see in the Sacramento Valley these days are fallow rice fields owned by farmers whose surface water deliveries have been slashed, he added. Massive Refilling of Tulare Lake Is Changing Nearby Weather, The Crash That Wasnt: Fresno Home Prices Climbing Again Despite High Interest Rates. Local Sites Reservoir - Northern California Water Association CA Gas Tax Increases Saturday.