SACRAMENTO – California reached a major milestone in the effort to build new water storage this week as the California Water Commission received 12 applications for funding under the Water Storage Investment Program, or WSIP.

Through the WSIP, the commission will fund the public benefits of water storage projects that improve the operation of the state water system, are cost effective, and provide a net improvement in ecosystem and water quality conditions.

A project must also provide measurable improvements to the Delta ecosystem or to the tributaries to the Delta in order to receive funding.

The applications, which were submitted by the Aug. 14 deadline, seek a total of $5.8 billion in WSIP funding for projects with a combined construction cost of $13 billion.

Among the applications is one for the Sites Reservoir near Maxwell in Colusa County.

The Sites Project is seeking $1.6 billion in funding, with an estimated construction cost of $5.1 billion, according to the commission report.

The WSIP is funded by Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Act of 2014. Chapter 8 of Proposition 1 dedicated $2.7 billion for investments in the public benefits of water storage projects and designated the Commission as the agency responsible for awarding these funds.

Of the 12 applications, six are for surface storage projects, five are for conjunctive use projects, and one is for a groundwater storage project.

The WSIP may invest in the public benefits portion of some or all of these projects, subject to the determination of the Commission. Each project must provide ecosystem improvement benefits.

Five applicants said that in addition to ecosystem improvement benefits, their projects would provide water quality improvement; four cited additional flood control benefits; 10 cited additional emergency response benefits; and seven cited recreational benefits.

“The voters of California spoke clearly when they passed Proposition 1 in 2014. They want new water storage projects that provide public benefits and provide a measurable improvement to the Delta,” stated Armando Quintero, chair of the California Water Commission. “After our multi-year process of working with stakeholders and the public to develop and approve the regulations governing the WSIP program, we have 12 projects that have applied for funding. The commission will now turn its focus to reviewing the applications and determining which projects will provide the best investment in public dollars for California's future.”

The applications will be checked for eligibility and completeness before entering a full technical review.

The commission expects to hold multiple public meetings regarding WSIP funding for the projects, including determining the Public Benefit Ratio (March 2018), Final Project Score (May 2018), and Maximum Conditional Eligibility Determination and Early Funding for Completion of Environmental Documents and Permits (June 2018).

Information about commission meeting schedules and status of review may be found at www.cwc.ca.gov.

The nine-member California Water Commission is charged with advising the director of the California Department of Water Resources, approving rules and regulations, and furthering development of state policies that support integrated and sustainable water resources management.

For more information regarding the California Water Commission visit www.cwc.ca.gov.