Another $219 Million of state funding has been allocated for Sites Reservoir Project. The California Water Commission approved the money during hearings on Wednesday, redistributing funding that had been earmarked for the canceled expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir. That brings the total eligibility for the Sites Project more than a Billion Dollars. The Bureau of Reclamation has agreed to contribute 16% of the total funding necessary for completion. California will also contribute a significant amount of Proposition One money. The Sites Project Authority is still working through the regulatory process before ground can finally be broken. Some environmental groups and tribes say the project will divert too much water from the Sacramento River and harm Salmon and other wildlife. The reservoir is planned for an area west of Williams, and would hold up to 1.5 Million acre-feet of off-stream storage which would be diverted by canals and pipelines 17 miles from the Sacramento River. More can be learned at sitesproject.org.
-Steve Gibson