California water board approves final water-right permit for Sites Reservoir

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's State Water Resources Control Board approved the final water right permit for the Sites Reservoir, the governor's office said, a decision it said puts the state on track to build its largest new reservoir in more than 50 years.

The reservoir, in Glenn and Colusa counties, would add 1.5 million acre-feet of water storage capacity, enough to supply more than 4.5 million homes for one year, according to the office. It is designed to capture water from the Sacramento River during eligible high-flow periods and store it for use during prolonged dry conditions.

The permit establishes conditions for diverting and storing water from the Sacramento River, the office said. Because the reservoir sits off the river, it will not block fish migration or spawning, according to the release.

With the water right approval, the project has cleared all regulatory approvals needed to initiate construction, the office said. The Sites Project Authority and participating water agencies now turn to advancing financing needed to begin construction.

Governor Gavin Newsom said in the release: "We made Sites Reservoir a priority because California can’t afford to keep waiting for the water storage we need."

Once complete, the reservoir will provide up to 200,000 acre-feet of water for use during emergency-declared droughts and deliver water to wildlife refuges, according to the release.

In June, Newsom announced nearly $269 million in additional funding, bringing the project's total eligible state funding to approximately $1.36 billion, the office said.

Newsom signed SB 149, an infrastructure streamlining law, in 2023 and used it to fast-track Sites Reservoir, according to the release.