- California state authorities grant final water rights permits to advance construction of the landmark Sites Reservoir project.
- The massive infrastructure undertaking will require an estimated investment between 6.2 and 6.8 billion dollars with federal backing.
- The reservoir aims to capture excess river flows during wet periods to safeguard urban and agricultural supplies against future droughts.
The state of California is poised to break ground on its most significant water storage infrastructure project in over fifty years. Following the formal approval granted by the State Water Resources Control Board, the Sites Reservoir initiative in Colusa County has cleared its final major administrative hurdle, with heavy construction slated to commence in the summer of 2027 and reshape regional climate resilience strategies.
NEW: With the water rights approval for Sites Reservoir done, the critical water storage project has cleared all regulatory approvals needed to initiate construction!
Huge news for California water storage as the climate gets more extreme!
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) November 6, 2026
A monumental engineering endeavor for climate adaptation
Estimated to cost between 6.2 and 6.8 billion dollars, the massive undertaking is bolstered by substantial federal funding support and state backing. Situated near the community of Maxwell between Colusa and Glenn counties, the planned reservoir will span approximately thirteen miles long, four miles wide, and reach depths of up to eighty meters. Containing the immense water volume will require the erection of two major earthen dams alongside several smaller supplementary structures…