Area congressmen join together to provide federal support for proposed Sites Reservoir
North State congressmen from both sides of the political aisle announced a plan Thursday to help provide federal support for the construction of the proposed Sites Reservoir and related water infrastructure in Colusa and Glenn counties.
The Sites Reservoir Project Act, introduced by Congressmen Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, and John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to complete a necessary feasibility study for the Sites project and, if deemed feasible, authorize additional funding and technical support.
"Water storage projects, such as Sites Reservoir, are absolutely critical to securing the future of our state's water supply," LaMalfa said in a press release. "It's important that we have the infrastructure to save more water during wet years so we can prepare for the dry ones California sees all too often."
LaMalfa said Sites would provide more storage per dollar invested than any other proposed project around the state.
Garamendi said construction of the reservoir would bring the state closer to achieving a drought-resilient water system.
"Our state needs to make forward-looking investments to meet its future water supply needs, and Sites will benefit farmers, precious ecosystems, and our communities. I am proud to sponsor the bipartisan Sites Reservoir Project Act, building upon the nearly $1.2 billion in public funding for the project secured to date," Garamendi said in a press release.
Once built, Sites is expected to provide 1.8 million acre-feet of off-stream water storage capacity for the state. The group spearheading the effort to build it is the Sites Joint Powers Authority, a regional consortium of local water agencies and counties that formed in 2010.