Sites Reservoir Project Reaches Major Milestone with Water Right Approval

The Sites Reservoir Project reached a major milestone on November 4, 2026, when the State Water Resources Control Board unanimously approved the project’s water right decision and permit, marking a significant step forward in strengthening California’s long-term water supply reliability.

The Board’s 5-0 vote approved Water Right Decision D-1653 and Permit 21487, allowing the project to divert up to 986,000 acre-feet of water annually, subject to permit conditions. This decision follows decades of planning, coordination and collaboration among water agencies and partners throughout California.

Sites Reservoir is a proposed 1.5-million-acre-foot, off-stream water storage project in Northern California designed to capture and store water when Sacramento River flows are high, making it available during drier periods. The project will help improve water supply reliability for communities, farms and businesses while providing environmental benefits for fish, migratory birds and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The approval represents an important step toward construction by providing greater certainty about how the reservoir will operate and establishing a foundation for participating agencies to make long-term funding commitments.

This milestone reflects years of dedication and partnership to advance a project that will help strengthen California’s water resilience for generations to come.

For more information, read the official press release from the Sites Project Authority.