The Departments of Interior and Agriculture announced a $449 million grant for the Sites Reservoir Project in Colusa County, California. The Sites Reservoir is a proposed 13-mile lake that would hold nearly 1.8 million acre-feet of water diverted from the Sacramento River. The $449 million grant will fund a pipeline that will connect the Glenn-Colusa Main Canal with the Tehama-Colusa Canal, and will be used to pipe runoff from the Sacramento River into the proposed reservoir.

The reservoir will provide more flexibility for California’s water system. During the times of year when runoff levels are high, water can be pumped from the Sacramento River and stored at Sites, and in drier periods water can be taken from Sites and used for irrigation and drinking water. The benefits of the Sites Reservoir include water storage, flood management, and wildlife preservation. Construction is planned to start in 2022 and the reservoir could be operational by 2029.