Sites Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sites Reservoir |
|
|---|---|
 Sites Reservoir
Location in California
|
|
| Coordinates | 39°21′18″N 122°20′29″W / 39.35500°N 122.34139°W |
| Type | Offstream reservoir |
| Primary outflows | Stone Corral Creek, Funks Creek |
| Managing agency | California Department of Water Resources |
| Built | 2023 start; 2030 completion (proposed) |
| Max. length | 13 miles (21 km) |
| Surface area | 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) |
| Max. depth | 310 ft (94 m) |
| Water volume | 1.8×106 acre-feet (2.2 km3) (max. as proposed) |
| Surface elevation | 580 ft (180 m) |
The Sites Reservoir is a big water storage project planned for northern California. It's called an offstream reservoir, which means it's not built directly on a main river. Instead, it will collect water from the Sacramento River during winter when there's a lot of rain and the river is high. This water will be pumped through existing canals to a new, artificial lake about 14 miles (23 km) away.
The main goal of Sites Reservoir is to store water for when California needs it most, especially during dry years or droughts. It's like a giant savings account for water! The project is expected to cost about $5.2 billion and is being built by the California Department of Water Resources. It could store up to 1.8×106 acre-feet (2.2 km3) of water, which is a huge amount.
The project is managed by the California State Water Project (SWP). It's hoped that the reservoir will bring in about $260 million in benefits each year. Construction was planned to start in 2023 and finish around 2030.
Contents
Why is Sites Reservoir Needed?
The idea for Sites Reservoir came up in the 1980s. California has had some very serious droughts, like the ones from 2006–2010 and 2011–2017. These dry periods made people worry about having enough water for cities, farms, and the environment. The reservoir is designed to help make sure California has a more reliable water supply, even when it doesn't rain much.
How Much Will Sites Reservoir Cost?
The total cost for building Sites Reservoir is estimated to be $5.2 billion. In 2018, the state of California gave $820 million for the project from a special bond called Proposition 1. Many water agencies across California have also promised to help pay for it.
Some farming areas in the Sacramento Valley first planned to contribute less money. This is because the cost of storing water is high. However, water agencies in southern California and the San Joaquin Valley have decided to contribute more. This is because crops like pistachios and almonds, grown in the San Joaquin Valley, are very valuable. These areas can afford to pay more for water.
The federal government, through the Bureau of Reclamation, might also put $1 billion into the project. If less money is raised, the reservoir might be built a bit smaller, but supporters still believe it will be built.
How Will Sites Reservoir Work?
The Sites Reservoir will cover about 14,000-acre (5,700 ha) of land. It will be created by building several dams in the hills east of the California Coast Ranges. The main dams, called Sites and Golden Gate, will be built across two creeks, Stone Corral and Funks Creeks. Six smaller walls, called saddle dikes, will also help hold the water in.
Water will be pumped into the reservoir using existing canals, the Tehama-Colusa and Glenn-Colusa Canals. A new pumping station will be built on the Sacramento River near Red Bluff to move the water.
The project is also designed to be a type of pumped-storage power plant. This means it can store energy. While it will use some power to pump water, it can also generate electricity during times when the power grid needs it most, like during peak hours. This helps with large-scale grid energy storage.
What About the Environment?
Even though Sites Reservoir is not on a main river, it could still affect the environment, especially fish like salmon. This is because it will take water that would normally flow down the Sacramento River, which is important for salmon and other fish.
Some concerns include:
- Fish: Taking too much water from the Sacramento River could harm salmon and other fish that live there.
- Habitat: The reservoir itself will cover land that is home to 23 different sensitive, threatened, or endangered wildlife species.
- Evaporation: A large amount of water, about 30,000 acre-feet (37,000,000 m3) each year, will evaporate from the 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) reservoir.
However, the project also aims to help the environment. A report from the Bureau of Reclamation in 2020 stated that a lot of the water from the project would be used for environmental purposes. This includes helping the Delta smelt, keeping Lake Shasta's water cold for salmon, and providing water for birds and other native species.
To protect fish, the pumping stations along the Sacramento River will have special screens to keep fish from being harmed. There are also plans to make changes at Shasta Dam upstream to help provide more cold water for salmon.
