Local Agencies Form JPA for Sites Reservoir Project
A group of water agencies and counties in the Sacramento Valley has formed a joint powers authority to pursue development of the proposed Sites Reservoir Project.
Identified by the Department of Water Resources as a preferred site for additional surface storage in the state, the Sites Project would flood the remote Antelope Valley, which lies northwest of Sacramento near the Colusa County town of Maxwell. The offstream reservoir project would divert water from the Sacramento River, storing 470,000- to 640,000 acre-feet per year and improving water quality in the Delta, flood protection in the Sacramento Valley, and water supply reliability for urban, agricultural and environmental uses.
The JPA was formed to represent local interests in the planning, construction and operation of a Sites Reservoir and related facilities. It is also a goal of the JPA to ensure that previous work on the project be utilized, and that any future work maximizes the ecosystem and water supply benefits, while minimizing costs and providing the local region with more control.
JPA members include Glenn County, Colusa County, Reclamation District No. 108, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, Maxwell Irrigation District, and Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Additional members will be allowed.
A signing ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 1:30 p.m. at the Glenn County Board of Supervisors’ chambers, located in the Veterans’ Memorial Hall Building, 525 West Sycamore Street, Willows.
