Sacramento, CA -- SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District has finalized its Record of Decision for the proposed Sites Reservoir Project following completion of its National Environmental Policy Act review.
The Sites Reservoir Project is a proposed off-stream water storage project located in Colusa County, California, north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The ROD documents the Corps’ evaluation of the project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and informs future permit decisions under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act.
The Environmental Impact Statement for the project was prepared under the leadership of the Bureau of Reclamation, with USACE participating as a cooperating agency.
“My team worked collaboratively with the Sites Project Authority, the Bureau of Reclamation, Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies to reach this milestone,” said Col. Robert McTighe, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District
“The Corps is neither a proponent nor opponent of the Sites Reservoir Project,” said McTighe. “Our role is to evaluate environmental impacts, consider the public interest, and apply our regulatory authorities to any future permit decisions.”
This Record of Decision does not authorize construction, including any activities requiring authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Rather, it documents the Corps’ NEPA decision and informs how future Department of the Army permit decisions will be made for activities within the Corps’ jurisdiction.
The Record of Decision is one step in the federal review process and does not predetermine the outcome of any future permit evaluations. Any future permit applications will be evaluated by USACE in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
For more information about Sites Reservoir, please see Environmental Impact Statements on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District website.