SITES RESERVOIR PROJECT MAY RECEIVE NEW SUPPORT THROUGH PROPOSED BILL REQUIRING FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT BY JUNE 2015

On March 26, 2014, Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA-03) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) introduced HR 4300, the Sacramento Valley Water Storage and Restoration Act of 2014. If passed, HR 4300 would authorize construction of the Sites Reservoir in Colusa County’s Antelope Valley. Garamendi and LaMalfa contend that passage of the bill would bring California closer to achieving a drought-proof water system and would support continued growth of California’s economy, particular in the agricultural sector. The bill identifies the Sites Reservoir Project as an important part of integrated water management in the Sacramento Valley that would both improve water management and restore ecological vitality. Joint drafters of the bill include local stakeholders and the Sites Joint Powers Authority, which is comprised of local water agencies and counties who joined forces in 2010 to advocate for the project.

The bill projects that the Sites Reservoir Project could provide an additional 1.9 million acre feet of water storage capacity in California’s existing water infrastructure north of the Bay-Delta. The project would involve construction of two large dams up to 310 feet high and nine smaller saddle dams. The majority of the water stored in the Sites Reservoir would be diverted from the Sacramento River using existing facilities on the river. Water drawn from these locations would be ferried through the existing Tehama-Colusa and Glen-Colusa Canals to the Sites Reservoir. A third river diversion and pipeline would be constructed north of Colusa. Overall, the diversions would take as much as 5,900 cubic feet per second (CFS) of water from the Sacramento River. As currently proposed, the Sites Reservoir Project would permanently flood approximately 10 homes. Given the additional infrastructure required for the channel and pumping station, additional takings would likely be required.

By its terms, HR 4300 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to support non-Federal investments in water infrastructure improvements in the Sacramento Valley. Specifically, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, would be required to finalize and publish a Feasibility Study in the Federal Register in addition to completing and issuing the final joint environmental impact statement (EIS) and environmental impact report (EIR) on the Sites Reservoir Project. Garamendi estimates that the feasibility study could be completed within 6 months of authorization.

Currently, the cost estimate for the Sites Reservoir Project is $3.9 billion with a projected annual operating cost of $222 million. Completion of a feasibility study and EIS are the first step toward obtaining funding for the project. HR 4300 also creates a process by which a non-federal sponsor could develop the project. One possible source of funding is the California Water Bond, which could certainly provide money for surface water reservoirs like the Sites Project.

A number of environmental groups have expressed concern about the Sites Reservoir Project’s potential impact. An August 2013 Fact Sheet Report produced by Friends of the River contends that the Sites Reservoir Project would flood more than 14,000 acres of habitat in the Antelope Valley, including grassland, riparian habitat, vernal pools, and wetlands. Additionally, the report alleges that 23 sensitive, threatened, or endangered species would be affected by the project. Recently, the Sierra Club announced its opposition to the project, claiming that it poses a significant threat to fish in the Sacramento River. The Sierra Club cautions that discharging warm water from the Sites Reservoir back into the cold river at a time when salmon are making their run would likely wipe out a substantial majority of the salmon population. The EIS and EIR required by HR 4300 would address these issues and any potential mitigation steps that could be taken to offset environmental impacts from the project.

State water leaders have been discussing the Sites Reservoir Project since the 1960s. While some remain skeptical about the ability of the project to gain momentum, others claim that the current drought crisis provides the ideal background for implementation of ground water storage measures. As of March 31, 2014, HR 4300 is under review by the Legislative Committee on Water and Power.