Thursday November 5, 2026
Courthouse News Service —
California’s water board on Wednesday granted a permit to the Sites Reservoir project, a 1.5 million acre-foot lake intended as an answer to the problems of a changing climate and the state’s evolving water needs.
The decision by the State Water Resources Control Board was a crucial step to make the long-simmering project a reality. Officials said the reservoir in Colusa County would allow diversions of up to 986,000 acre-feet of water annually, or enough for 8.4 million people a year.
The board voted unanimously to approve the permit and an accompanying decision.
“This is a pretty monumental decision here,” vice chair Dorene D’Adamo said, adding: “This has been a lengthy and complex process.”
Cost estimates call for billions of dollars to construct the project, with an expected operational date in 2035.
Supporters say it’s a critical component needed to capture more water during future heavy-rainfall events, which are expected because of climate change.
“This weather whiplash is not an aberration,” said Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the state’s Natural Resources Agency. “It is the new normal.”