Construction of California’s largest reservoir in half a century could begin next summer after state water regulators gave the project the go-ahead Wednesday, a rare breakthrough for big water infrastructure.
Supporters of the $6 billion Sites Reservoir, who include Gov. Gavin Newsom, have been pushing the proposal for years — some for decades — saying the water storage venture 70 miles northwest of Sacramento will help the state weather chronic droughts. The reservoir would provide water for cities and farms across California, including many in the Bay Area.
One of the biggest hurdles for the effort has been winning a water right, which authorizes water for the project, in this case from the Sacramento River. The problem is that most of California’s water is spoken for, and environmentalists and tribes have long protested diverting more river flows from already strained watersheds. Salmon are among the myriad wildlife struggling on the heavily used Sacramento…