Governor Gavin Newsom<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sites Reservoir is a key component of the\u00a0Governor\u2019s water strategy<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and will capture water from the Sacramento River during wet seasons and store it for use during drier seasons \u2013 holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough to supply over 4.5 million homes for a year. The project will help California maintain a resilient water supply in the face of climate change, weather extremes, and water scarcity.<\/p>\n With this new infusion of funding, Sites is eligible for $1.094 billion in Proposition 1 funding. The total project cost is estimated at up to $6.8 billion, of which roughly $780 million will be financed\u00a0through the federal government<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Governor Newsom previously\u00a0streamlined<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the project, allowing the project to swiftly\u00a0defeat a CEQA legal challenge<\/strong><\/a>. More information about the project can be found at\u00a0build.ca.gov<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Image of the San Luis Reservoir, the largest off-stream reservoir in the U.S. Once completed, the Sites Reservoir will be the second largest. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources)<\/em><\/p>\n Over the last few decades, the California climate has warmed, with the effects felt strongly in water resources. The state has already experienced a marked increase in the variability of precipitation, with wild swings from drought to flood. These threats were outlined in a recently released\u00a0State Water Project Adaptation Strategy<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0which assesses and details over a dozen different state actions to protect the state\u2019s water supply through the State Water Project.<\/p>\n Completing water infrastructure projects quickly is more important than ever. Through Governor Newsom\u2019s streamlining efforts, the administration is working to mitigate future cost increases and prepare California for a new climate reality.<\/p>\n Conveyance infrastructure will also be needed to move that water to where it is needed to take advantage of fast-moving storms. This is why Governor Newsom has also announced a legislative package to\u00a0fast-track another key water infrastructure project, the Delta Conveyance Projec<\/strong><\/a>t, which will also help offset and recover California\u2019s future climate-driven water losses. The Delta Conveyance Project would expand the state\u2019s ability to improve water supply reliability, while also maintaining environmental and water quality protections. During atmospheric rivers last year, the Delta Conveyance Project could have captured enough water for 9.8 million people\u2019s yearly usage\u2014further enhancing California\u2019s ability to provide water to its 40 million residents, in conjunction with other water infrastructure projects like Sites Reservoir.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sites-photo.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/span><\/div>\nPreparing California\u2019s water infrastructure\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n