MAXWELL, CA (MPG) – The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a Record of Decision for the Sites Reservoir Project, marking a major environmental milestone for the proposed water storage facility in Colusa County.
The decision certifies that the project complies with the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal infrastructure projects to assess potential environmental impacts. Issuance of the Record of Decision follows completion of a final Environmental Impact Statement and compliance with the Endangered Species Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
“This milestone decision reflects years of rigorous analysis, collaboration, and a shared commitment to advancing a project that balances our water supply needs with protecting the environment,” said Fritz Durst, chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “We are grateful for federal partnership support and plans to continue advancing the project in the coming year.”
With the Record of Decision complete, the Sites Project Authority will move the project through final planning stages and toward construction. Reclamation must still meet all environmental requirements before entering into a partnership agreement with the authority.
“This decision affirms what our extensive analysis has shown that Sites Reservoir can reliably capture and store water in a way that supports both people and the environment,” said Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Project Authority. “The environmental approval allows the authority to leverage available construction funding and focus on moving toward construction.”
The Sites Reservoir Project is a proposed 1.5 million acre-foot, off-stream reservoir located north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project is designed to improve California’s water supply reliability during dry years while also dedicating stored water to environmental uses to support fish, wildlife, and habitat during drought periods.
The project is supported by a coalition of cities, counties, water agencies, and irrigation districts across California. Funding partners include the State of California through the Water Storage Investment Program and the federal government under the Water Infrastructure and Investment for the Nation Act of 2016.
Additional information is available at sitesproject.org.