Project northwest of Sacramento would provide water to Bay Area, Central Valley farms, Los Angeles
A drone view of rural land near unincorporated Sites, Calif., on Thursday, March 14, 2024. The area is planned as the location for Sites Reservoir, a 1.5 million-acre-foot project that would be California’s eighth largest at 13-miles long, submerging some of the area shown. A plan to build the largest new reservoir in California in 50 years will face a new round of legal challenges.
Supporters, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say with climate change making droughts worse, it is critical that California store more water in wet years to ease shortages during dry years. Brown said that the authority published 9,838 pages of environmental studies for the project, with analysis from more than 100 experts and consultation with every state and federal agency involved in issuing permits.
The project is supported by Newsom, President Biden, farm organizations, labor unions and about 20 water agencies, including the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose, Zone 7 Water Agency in Livermore, and the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles, all of which are partners and would receive water from it.
Under streamlined rules approved by Newsom last July and designed to speed construction of water, solar, wind and transportation projects, the state appeals court will have 110 days, until mid-October, to hear the environmentalists’ challenge.Apart from the legal appeal, the final hurdle for the project is to receive water rights from the State Water Resources Control Board, which is appointed by Newsom. Hearings are set to begin in July and run until next April.
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