Sites Reservoir: Water for Dry Years
Now more than ever, California needs innovative solutions to ensure we have a sustainable water supply. Our climate has changed, and we need more storage as the West gets drier and hotter to ensure we have enough water to meet our needs.
Sites Reservoir is a unique, multi-benefit water storage project that will capture and store water from major storms, so water is available to California’s communities, farms, and environment during dry periods.
The water that Californians use for drinking, recreating and protecting the environment moves through a system that is arguably the most complex in the world.
Sites Reservoir Benefits
- Reliable dry-year water supply for California’s communities, farms and environment
- Dedicated environmental water for native fish, migratory birds, and their habitats
- Adaptable to climate change
- Contribution to California’s renewable energy goals
- Flood management
- Recreational opportunities
- Job creation, including a large skilled workforce during construction
Sites Reservoir Fast Facts
Creates additional 1.5 million acre-foot off-stream storage for drier periods
Increases Sacramento Valley water storage capacity
Creates reliable supplies for environmental, agricultural, and municipal uses
30 participating agencies representing communities across California
A Part of the Sacramento Valley
Sites Reservoir would be located on the west side of the Sacramento Valley, near Maxwell, California – a rural farming town in Colusa County, approximately 65 miles northwest of Sacramento. The Sacramento Valley is known for its farming community, rich agricultural benefits, and natural beauty. The region’s acres of grassland surrounded by rolling foothills make it an ideal location for off-stream water storage. The proposal is widely supported by local community leaders, residents, as well as state water managers and water agencies from the Bay Area to Southern California.
A Bird’s-Eye View of California’s Water Future
Join JP Robinette, Engineering and Construction Manager for the Sites Project Authority, for a drone tour of the future Sites Reservoir site. Discover how the project leverages existing water infrastructure to capture water from the Sacramento River and deliver it to our participants. More than just a reservoir, Sites is a climate-resilient investment in California’s future.
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With an additional $268.9 million in conditional Prop 1 funding, Sites Reservoir is now California's largest water storage investment. This is another powerful vote of confidence in the project and its critical role in our water future. #BuildSitesNow
https://sitesproject.org/press-releases/sites-reservoir-awarded-additional-268-9-million-in-conditional-proposition-1-funding/
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Sites Reservoir was awarded an additional $268.9M in conditional Prop 1 funding — officially making it the largest water storage investment in California.
It`s another powerful vote of confidence in the critical role Sites will play in securing reliable water for our communities, farms, and environment. 🏠🌾🪿
🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio.
#BuildSitesNow #CaliforniaWater #WaterStorage #WaterResilience #Sustainability
As drought cycles intensify and storms become more extreme, off-stream storage is more important than ever. Sites Reservoir is a rain-fed reservoir designed to capture water from intense storms and store it for when California needs it most. #BuildSitesNow
With 29 participants spanning California and 16 more on the waitlist, the Sites Reservoir Project is backed by one of the state`s broadest and most diverse water coalitions. That growing support is what`s moving this Project forward.
Learn more at SitesProject.org.
Sites Reservoir reached major milestones in 2025, putting the project on the path toward construction.
✅ CA Department of Fish & Wildlife approved the Project’s Master Streambed Alteration Agreement
✅ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued its Biological Opinion for federal endangered species compliance
✅We launched a procurement process to select a CMAR for the Reservoir and Roads Package, including shortlisting top applicants
✅ We adopted a Construction Workforce Policy to support a skilled regional workforce
✅ The project secured more than $480M in new state and federal funding commitments
Each milestone brings us closer to delivering a 21st‑century reservoir that will provide water reliability, operational flexibility, and environmental benefits for generations to come.
Learn more about the project’s progress and what’s ahead for Sites Reservoir at the link in our bio.
Today, we launched a competitive procurement process to select a Construction Manager at Risk to construct the up to $2 billion conveyance infrastructure package for the Sites Reservoir Project. Qualified firms are invited to apply by July 29. Learn more at the link in our bio.
California voters passed Prop 1 to invest in water storage that benefits people and the environment. Sites Reservoir will be the first and only reservoir in the state to have dedicated environmental water to support wildlife and ecosystems.
Learn more at SitesProject.org.
Sites Reservoir is built to work with the Sacramento Valley`s existing local infrastructure. More than 100 miles of existing canals and pipelines will help capture and deliver water where it`s needed most.
Visit SitesProject.org to learn more.
California’s working lands do more than grow food; they sustain whole ecosystems. Up to 500,000 acres of rice fields help support wildlife each year. Water from Sites Reservoir will support local farmland that doubles as a resting spot for the Pacific Flyway.
#BuildSitesNow
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The California Water Commission unanimously awarded Sites Reservoir an additional $268.9 million in conditional Prop 1 funding — making it the largest Proposition 1 water storage investment in California. This unanimous vote is another powerful vote of confidence in Sites Reservoir and the critical role it will play in California's water future. #BuildSitesNow #CaliforniaWater
sitesproject.org/press-releases/sites-reservoir-awarded-additional-268-9-million-in-conditional-p...
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Reliable water infrastructure requires long-term vision. Investments like this have the potential to strengthen water security, but their success will ultimately depend on thoughtful implementation and responsible management.
Lmao more money on top of the other money that’ll disappear too ha ha ha and like Diane said no shovel yet. I think it’s a joke.
Been trying since 1965, I’ll believe it when I drive over it going home to Stonyford 😡