FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2022
Contact: Michael Blenner, Sierra Club California, michael.blenner@sierraclub.org
MWD Board Votes to Fund Environmentally Destructive Sites Reservoir Project
Los Angeles, CA - Today, the board of the main water wholesaler in Southern California voted to fund the next phase of planning for Sites Reservoir with $20 million of ratepayer money. The vote by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) was 54.66% in favor, and will have major negative consequences for local communities across Southern California.
Sierra Club California and environmental justice groups have steadfastly fought against the Sites Reservoir project. The project will facilitate the environmentally destructive Delta Conveyance project (aka Delta tunnel), which environmentalists and the public have consistently opposed for decades.
The Delta tunnel will harm the important biodiversity of the Bay-Delta region, and cost ratepayers up to $40 billion. Sites Reservoir is the tunnel’s sister project, storing water that will flow through the tunnel. Importantly, neither project will provide a new source of water for the area.
For years, the freshwater flowing into the San Francisco Bay-Delta, located near Stockton, has been overdrawn. This has resulted in a loss of habitat, fish, and wildlife. The lack of freshwater also creates increased algal blooms that put nearby communities at risk. The tunnel and Sites Reservoir will only exacerbate these problems.
In response, Caty Wagner, Sierra Club California SoCal Water Organizer, issued the following statement:
“We are disappointed that MWD decided to fund the next phase of Sites. This irresponsible decision directly harms Californians and increases Southern California’s dependence on the already-strained Bay-Delta.
“We commend the members of the board who listened to the comments of concerned citizens and activists and voted against this project. It’s deeply troubling that a majority of the MWD board refuses to value sustainable water management.”
We will continue to advocate for more community engagement, especially for affected Tribes, and the importance of local supplies, which will increase our resiliency in the face of climate change, create local jobs, and provide relief to the communities and wildlife of the Delta.”
Sierra Club California is the legislative and regulatory arm of Sierra Club’s 13 local chapters in California, representing half a million members and supporters.