Sites Project Authority seeks water right for construction, storage
The State Water Resources Control Board will continue a multi-day public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 3, on the Sites Project Authority’s application for a water right permit to store up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually in a proposed reservoir in the Sacramento Valley.
The hearing will continue on various dates through October.
When: Sept. 3, 6, 9-11, 16, 18, 23, 24 and 30 beginning at 9 a.m.
Where: CalEPA Headquarters, 1001 I St., Sacramento, California
How to view: Access the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel.
The proposed project entails diverting and storing water from the Sacramento River and two of its tributaries for future statewide uses, including agriculture, municipal, and fish and wildlife protection. The reservoir would be located near the town of Maxwell, approximately 17 miles west of the river.
Before approving a water right application, the board must determine that water will be available after other needs are satisfied, including those of senior water right holders and the instream flows necessary to protect water quality and fish and wildlife in the Sacramento River and Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Estuary. The board must also consider whether the intended water use would be reasonable and beneficial and approving the application would be in the public interest.
Background:
The facilities would include the use of existing Tehama Colusa Canal and Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Canal diversion and conveyance facilities, plus a proposed new diversion and discharge pipeline. Water from the Sacramento River, Funks Creek and Stone Coral Creek would be impounded by the proposed reservoir and the Sacramento River. Operation of the proposed reservoir would be in cooperation with the Central Valley Project and State Water Project system facilities.
