Taking advantage of an infrastructure streamlining bill, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has fast-tracked plans to develop the Sites Reservoir project.
The proposed Sites Reservoir, located northwest of Sacramento, CA, will hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet (an acre-foot is 325,851 gallons) of water by capturing storm-related runoff and a portion of storm-related flood water north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Signed by Newsom in July, Senate Bill (SB) 149 streamlines efforts for governor-certified projects to avoid California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) litigation delays. The courts must decide CEQA challenges, including all appeals, as feasible, within 270 days. According to Newsom’s announcement, this will save months, even years, of litigation delays after an environmental review is passed.
“We’re cutting red tape to build more faster,” Newsom said. “These are projects that will address our state’s biggest challenges faster, and the Sites Reservoir is fully representative of that goal—making sure Californians have access to clean drinking water and making sure we’re more resilient against future droughts.”
The Sites Reservoir is the first project to receive SB 149 certification. It comes after the Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority released the project’s final environmental impact report and environmental impact statement.
The $4.5 billion project has received $60 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and additional funding from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, for a total of $233.7 million in federal contributions to date. California has funded over $46 million for the project from early funding and is eligible for another $875.4 million from Proposition 1 bonds.
Proposition 1, approved by voters in 2014, authorized over $7 billion in general obligation bonds to fund watershed protection and restoration, water supply infrastructure projects and drinking water protection.
Environmental groups have opposed the project, stating it will have adverse environmental impacts, harm those who rely on rivers and fish for their livelihoods and “create some of the most expensive water in the state, affordable to only a few.”
According to the California Water Commission, final permits and approvals are expected in late 2024, with construction to begin in 2025. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
