By Fritz Durst, a Yolo County farmer and chairman of the Sites Joint Power Authority
From prolonged drought to excessive flooding, water conditions in California have been anything but consistent during the past few years. That’s a problem for one of the world’s leading agricultural regions.
With climate change threatening one of California’s biggest industries, we need to invest in a truly resilient and reliable water future. We need Sites Reservoir.
After the worst drought on record in 2022, historic, wet winters in 2023 and 2024 produced record rain that filled reservoirs and aquifers above average levels. It was a welcome change for California’s farms, which were relying on depleted wells and aquifers in the previous two years. But it wasn’t enough to overcome losses from the state’s large groundwater deficit.
If it were already operational, Sites Reservoir—a 1.5 million acre-feet off-stream water storage project planned for rural Glenn and Colusa counties north of Sacramento—would be 100% full as of this past spring.
As California is predicted to get more precipitation in the form of rain, we need to capitalize on wet periods and store excess water for the inevitable dry periods that will follow. Thankfully, Sites Reservoir is specifically designed to adapt to our changing climate, providing significant benefits to our local agricultural economy.
It will capture and store water during storm events for use during severe dry periods when it is needed the most, increasing the flexibility, reliability and resiliency of our statewide water supply. The irrigation districts, urban water agencies and natural resource agencies investing in Sites Reservoir will have flexibility to use their storage space and stored water in a way that makes sense for their communities.
For our farmers and ranchers, it will provide additional water to sustain farming and food production, especially as hotter and drier weather becomes more frequent.
By capturing and storing water during wet periods, farms will be able to tap into a savings account during dry periods instead of leaving land fallow or forgoing planting and seeding, as they’ve had to do in recent years. This will create a stronger agricultural economy, which creates a ripple of benefits for our rural communities that depend on this way of life.
There will be economic benefits, too. Sites Reservoir will create an estimated 2,000 direct jobs at the peak of construction. The Sites Project Authority is committed to training and hiring local workers and businesses throughout construction, ensuring that Colusa and other Sacramento Valley counties benefit from this job creation.
Once operational, Sites Reservoir will bring more people to Colusa County for camping, boating and similar activities, which means increased activity at local restaurants, retail stores and other businesses.
We’re eager to deliver these benefits to California’s farms and communities, so last year, we set out to achieve significant funding, planning and permitting goals for Sites Reservoir. Thanks to collaboration, local engagement and support from our state and federal partners, we did just that.
Last fall, after extensive review, we certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the project—one of the most comprehensive environmental analyses ever done for a water supply project.
Sites Reservoir was also the first project selected by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature for streamlined judicial review under Senate Bill 149. We’re also thankful to have won a recent environmental court case, which found the final EIR fully complies with the California Environmental Quality Act.
On the permitting front, the California State Water Resources Control Board deemed the project’s water right application complete. That moved Sites Reservoir through to the next phase of the process, during which the board will determine whether to issue a water right permit for the project.
Finally, the project, which is 100% funded by local, state and federal public dollars, has secured significant investments in the past few years. More than $517 million in federal funding is committed to the project. Sites is also eligible for $875 million in funding from the state under the Proposition 1 initiative approved by California voters in 2014.
On top of these direct investments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also invited Sites to apply for a $2.2 billion loan through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. This low-interest loan will save millions of dollars during the life of the Sites Project.
The project has hit many milestones during the past few years, and we’re excited to be this close to the finish line. The state water board is considering the Sites Reservoir water-right permit, and we expect that decision in 2025.
With a permit in hand and other key requirements met, we hope to start construction in 2026. It’s time to build Sites now— and we are closer than ever.
COMMENTARY: Farmers to benefit as Sites Reservoir nears fruition
By Fritz Durst, a Yolo County farmer and chairman of the Sites Joint Power Authority
With climate change threatening one of California’s biggest industries, we need to invest in a truly resilient and reliable water future. We need Sites Reservoir.
After the worst drought on record in 2022, historic, wet winters in 2023 and 2024 produced record rain that filled reservoirs and aquifers above average levels. It was a welcome change for California’s farms, which were relying on depleted wells and aquifers in the previous two years. But it wasn’t enough to overcome losses from the state’s large groundwater deficit.
If it were already operational, Sites Reservoir—a 1.5 million acre-feet off-stream water storage project planned for rural Glenn and Colusa counties north of Sacramento—would be 100% full as of this past spring.
As California is predicted to get more precipitation in the form of rain, we need to capitalize on wet periods and store excess water for the inevitable dry periods that will follow. Thankfully, Sites Reservoir is specifically designed to adapt to our changing climate, providing significant benefits to our local agricultural economy.
It will capture and store water during storm events for use during severe dry periods when it is needed the most, increasing the flexibility, reliability and resiliency of our statewide water supply. The irrigation districts, urban water agencies and natural resource agencies investing in Sites Reservoir will have flexibility to use their storage space and stored water in a way that makes sense for their communities.
For our farmers and ranchers, it will provide additional water to sustain farming and food production, especially as hotter and drier weather becomes more frequent.
By capturing and storing water during wet periods, farms will be able to tap into a savings account during dry periods instead of leaving land fallow or forgoing planting and seeding, as they’ve had to do in recent years. This will create a stronger agricultural economy, which creates a ripple of benefits for our rural communities that depend on this way of life.
There will be economic benefits, too. Sites Reservoir will create an estimated 2,000 direct jobs at the peak of construction. The Sites Project Authority is committed to training and hiring local workers and businesses throughout construction, ensuring that Colusa and other Sacramento Valley counties benefit from this job creation.
Once operational, Sites Reservoir will bring more people to Colusa County for camping, boating and similar activities, which means increased activity at local restaurants, retail stores and other businesses.
We’re eager to deliver these benefits to California’s farms and communities, so last year, we set out to achieve significant funding, planning and permitting goals for Sites Reservoir. Thanks to collaboration, local engagement and support from our state and federal partners, we did just that.
Last fall, after extensive review, we certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the project—one of the most comprehensive environmental analyses ever done for a water supply project.
Sites Reservoir was also the first project selected by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature for streamlined judicial review under Senate Bill 149. We’re also thankful to have won a recent environmental court case, which found the final EIR fully complies with the California Environmental Quality Act.
On the permitting front, the California State Water Resources Control Board deemed the project’s water right application complete. That moved Sites Reservoir through to the next phase of the process, during which the board will determine whether to issue a water right permit for the project.
Finally, the project, which is 100% funded by local, state and federal public dollars, has secured significant investments in the past few years. More than $517 million in federal funding is committed to the project. Sites is also eligible for $875 million in funding from the state under the Proposition 1 initiative approved by California voters in 2014.
On top of these direct investments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also invited Sites to apply for a $2.2 billion loan through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. This low-interest loan will save millions of dollars during the life of the Sites Project.
The project has hit many milestones during the past few years, and we’re excited to be this close to the finish line. The state water board is considering the Sites Reservoir water-right permit, and we expect that decision in 2025.
With a permit in hand and other key requirements met, we hope to start construction in 2026. It’s time to build Sites now— and we are closer than ever.