SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — What could be California's first major new reservoir in decades has cleared a key regulatory hurdle.
The California Water Commission on Wednesday voted in favor of the feasibility of the Sites Reservoir project on the west side of the Sacramento Valley.
The vote means that the project stays eligible to receive more than $800 million in taxpayer money.
That's about 20% of the project's $4 billion cost.
The reservoir is the largest of seven water storage projects scheduled to receive funding from a 2014 voter-approved bond.
Environmental groups oppose the project.
They say it would take too much water out of the Sacramento River and harm endangered species of salmon.
