Richvale, CA — Last week, Northern California Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and John Garamendi (D-CA) announced the introduction of H.R. 1269, which will accelerate the federal review of Sites Reservoir and better position the project for funding under Proposition 1. The bill also authorizes the federal government to be involved in construction of the project should it be found feasible and is an innovative new way for the federal government to participate in a locally controlled project.
LaMalfa said: “The recent incident involving the Oroville Dam is testament to the fact that California needs better water infrastructure. Sites Reservoir will provide more storage per dollar invested than any other proposed project in the state. This will help to ensure that we have adequate storage to capture more water during the wet season and allow us to use that water effectively during times of future drought. Congressman Garamendi and I have long fought to secure funding for Sites Reservoir and I believe we are now closer than ever to seeing it happen.”
“Sites reservoir is one of the most useful, cost-effective water infrastructure projects California could build,” said Garamendi. “The recent feast-or-famine water years should remind us all of the importance of building safe, environmentally friendly long-term storage that can take advantage of wet years and help provide for our water needs during drier periods.”
Sites Reservoir, which would be located in Colusa and Glenn counties, is an off stream reservoir project that will create 500,000 acre-feet of new water each year. This new water could:
- Restore operational flexibility to the entire State’s water system.
- Meet the co-equal goals identified in the 2009 Delta Reform Act.
- Dedicate water for fishery and flow purposes.
- Contribute flows for Delta water quality purposes.
- Mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Contribute to the State’s renewable energy goals.
For more information about the project, click here.
