Where photo was taken would be over 200 feet underwater. And the project could get some of the $1.15 billion included in an infrastructure bill that has passed the U.S. Senate. Instead of damming a river, a remote valley 10 miles west of the sleepy farm town of Maxwell would be submerged, the water held in by two large dams and up to nine smaller saddle dams on ridges. GOAL 1: AFFORDABLE Secure Commitments for Project Funding A. Named for the historic quarry town of Sites, which will be submerged if the project is built, the reservoir would occupy remote hills and creek valleys west of the Sacramento River. All of us have done something like this in our lives, said Jay Lund, director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. We have about 1,500 reservoirs in California. Sites Reservoir - Wikipedia An environmental review, which already has gone through multiple rounds of revisions and public comment periods, is still underway and could wrap up this summer. Update on the Status of the Sites Reservoir Project The Metropolitan Water District which delivers 1.6 million acre-feet of imported water a year to 19 million people would receive about 50,000 more from Sites., adding just 3% to its supply. Since Sites construction takes six years, the process would be expected to take 18 years. Pioneer High School baseball team receives 6 Golden Empire League awards, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The reservoir would be filled by diverting water from the Sacramento River Californias largest river in wet years, and releasing it in dry years for farms and cities, along with fish and other species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Since Sites construction takes six years, the process would be expected to take 18 years. This facility would provide multiple benefits to improve aquatic habitat conditions andwithstand dry year conditions. Valerie Pryor, its general manager, said frequent droughts and residential demand have squeezed supplies, making Sites an appealing option. At this point we are at the finish line with what we intend to proceed with. Mixing concrete for the dams could require as much as a million gallons of water per day for four years. In dry years, that goes up to as much as 385,000 acre feet per year. Instead, operators would have to pump water from the Sacramento River whenever it has extra to give. If you assume people are smart which they kind of are most of the time they will have built reservoirs at the 1,500 best reservoir sites already, said Jay Lund, co-director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California-Davis. First, many of the best locations for dams are already taken. 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. Valerie Pryor, its general manager, said frequent droughts and residential demand have squeezed supplies, making Sites an appealing option. 5 things to know about the proposed Sites Reservoir - KCRA Channel 3 A 2022 federal loan of $2.2 billion and a $449 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Sites Project Authority, plus a financial pledge from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, will cover much of the rest of the cost. News - Sites Reservoir Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. 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. John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association, noted that few, if any, of Californias dams have been beneficial for Chinook salmon. Sacramento ValleySites Reservoirwater storageWater Storage Investment Program. BiologistCarson Jeffres is on the fence about the project. Jim Morris: If Site's reservoir is built, it doesn't necessarily mean that there's a massive expansion of rice or other crops in the Sacramento Valley? Once built, the reservoir will almost certainly provide water storage benefits for people. But unlike most California reservoirs, Sites would not be connected to a river or stream. The reservoir would be large enough to supply water for 1.5 million households each for one year. Last century, California built dozens of large dams, creating the elaborate reservoir system that supplies the bulk of the states drinking and irrigation water. Pryor, at the Zone 7 Water Agency, said she understands the need for a cautiously paced planning stage for a mega-project like Sites. Kickoff of construction, which includes two large dams, had been scheduled for 2024, but likely will be delayed another year. Los Angeles, CA 90010 As if Mother Nature herself was listening, we saw a bald eagle and a turkey vulture soar in circles above us (dont worry, we got a video)! All Rights Reserved. 23 endangered or threatened species would be at risk and 56 other endangered species have the potential to be threatened. For more information, see Sites Project Authority. FAQ. Significant diversions from the Sacramento River to fill Sites Reservoir could result in substantial impacts to the rivers ecosystem namely: reduced volumes of water and water quality due to the inability to flush out runoff, agriculture waste and municipal waste, increased temperatures, salinity, and harmful algal blooms (HAB). These facilities would increase water management flexibility and improve water supply resiliency for participants during dry years and directly increase the efficiency and reliability of water management in the western Sacramento Valley. The reservoir would be used to store water during wet years for use during droughts and would be large enough to supply 1.5 million households each for one year. Sites Reservoir is significant for California and the nation, and a substantial loan through the WIFIA program will help the project fulfill its environmental and water supply benefits. Still, Sites Reservoir remains almost a decade away: Acquisition of water rights, permitting and environmental review are still in the works. Your email address will not be published. Thats why this project is probably in trouble.. 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. Yes. 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. The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club welcomes your participation in its century of involvement in the enjoyment and protection of our planet's environment. Follow APs complete drought coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/droughts. Image via California Department of Parks and Recreation In summary The likelihood of a $2.2 billion federal loan increases the possibility that the Sites Reservoir, a vital step in protecting California's water supply, will be constructed. That could change with the Sites Reservoir project, which would flood whats left of the town of Sites, located in a valley amid Californias coast range mountains. This article was originally published by CalMatters. Reservoir - National Geographic Society About 160 miles of existing canals will be used to transfer water into and out of the reservoir, with plans to build just 20 miles of new conveyance, according to Brown. To get the state bond money, the project must lock in 75% of its outside funding and finish its draft environmental studies by Jan. 1, 2022. And what impacts will doing so have on fish and other wildlife in the Sacramento River? Maxwell, CA 95955, P.O. 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. More than half the worlds population sees AP journalism every day. Sometimes erosion knocks trees into the water, which creates coverage for fish. Also included is a pair of tunnels 23 feet wide and 3,000 feet long. A reservoir can also be formed from a natural lake whose outlet has been dammed to control the water level. 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. The idea for Sites has been around since the 1950s. Then theres money. We will deliver water back to the Sacramento River through the Tehama-Colusa Canal and through the Colusa Basin Drain for participant deliveries and for the environment. 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. Sites Reservoir is a $5.1 billion project that would take water piped from the Sacramento River 14 miles away, and store 1.8 million acre-feet of water for participating water agencies throughout . 1, a water bond that authorized$2.7 billion for new storage projects. In less than two weeks of storms last month, Sites could have captured 120,000 acre-feet of water, enough to serve about 1.3 million Californians for a year,according to water agencies supporting the project. Sites Reservoir 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. We dont need more reservoirs and dams that will divert more water from the rivers, he said. CAL MATTERS: This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned Heres why theres no one else like her. ; and more , WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST: State Water Board proposes timeline for SGMA intervention; Delta tunnel dealt blow in budget deal; Tulare Lake could hang around for years; and more . Estimates of the greenhouse gasses produced by the needed electricity, combined with the rotting vegetation of the reservoir, will produce as much CO2 as all of the commuter cars in the LA basin for two days. What you have left over is more expensive sites that give you less water.. Officials would have to eventually buy those properties from residents to build the reservoir. Building all of these features will account for much of the reservoirs $4 billion price tag. It erodes banks and deposits the sand downstream, creating new habitats. The reservoir, originally designed to be four times as big as Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park and nearly as big as San Luis Reservoir between Gilroy and Los Banos, received more money than any other project two years ago from a water bond passed by state voters during Californias historic drought. By Christopher Hudson September 4, 2020, Author: Jerry Brown, Executive Director, Sites Project Authority. Fundamentally, it is a deadbeat dam, a pretty marginal project, or else it would have been built years ago, said Ron Stork, a senior policy advocate for Friends of the River, an environmental advocacy group. Paul Cambra, a public information officer with the California Water Commission, said an assessment of these public benefits will ultimately determine whether all, or just a portion, of the Prop 1 funding will support the reservoirs construction.