As Joe Biden would say, This is a big fucking deal - $449 million granted to Sites Reservoir Project

MAXWELL, Calif. (KCRA) —
Top U.S. officials will be in Colusa County Tuesday to announce a $449 million grant toward the Sites Reservoir Project.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James are visiting Maxwell, where the Sites Reservoir is proposed.

They will be joined by Rep. Jeff Denham, Rep. David Valadao, Rep. Jim Costa and Rep. John Garamendi to tour the area where the reservoir would be constructed and hold a roundtable discussion on the project.

The $449 million grant will fund the Maxwell Water Intertie, a pipeline that will connect the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Main Canal with the Tehama-Colusa Canal. Eventually, the waterway will be used to pipe runoff from the Sacramento River into the proposed 1.8-million acre-foot Sites Reservoir.

The reservoir will have approximately double the capacity of Folsom Lake.

Proponents of the project say it will provide a reliable water supply for millions of homes, businesses and farms across the state.

It will improve water quality, availability for fish and other environmental needs, renewable energy, flood management, ground water recharge, bird habitat and recreation, according to the study.

Along with the $449 million grant, the state has allocated $816 million from Proposition 1, approved by voters to fund water storage projects.

https://www.kcra.com/article/dollar449-million-granted-to-sites-reservoir-project/25317594

I've been championing this project for, like, forever but never thought it would never come to fruition. It's a win-win non-partisan project that conservative farmers, conservationist, and urban citizens have come to embrace. Then, out of the blue, I learned the Trump administration cut loose the money. I was totally gobsmacked, and then rather amused to see the red district congress critters come out of their cave to take a victory lap, including lame duck Jeff Denham.