The Sites Project Authority selected Barnard Construction Company as construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) for the Sites Reservoir Project in Northern California and awarded the firm a $1 million preconstruction planning contract.
The Sites Reservoir Project is an off-stream water storage facility planned west of Maxwell in the Sacramento Valley. The project will divert high flows from the Sacramento River during wet periods into a man-made reservoir for later use. The project scope includes construction of two large dams, nine smaller embankments, the three-quarter-mile Sites–Lodoga Bridge, and inlet and outlet structures to manage water imports and exports. The reservoir will provide up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water storage.
Total project costs are estimated between $6.2 billion and $6.8 billion. The reservoir and roads construction package assigned to the CMAR has an estimated value of up to $3 billion. Federal funding will cover up to 25% of total project costs following completion of the federal environmental review process. The State of California has allocated approximately $1.1 billion toward construction, with additional state and federal funding pending.
Barnard Construction Company, headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, will support preconstruction activities as the project advances from 30% design toward construction. The initial phase includes constructibility reviews, haul road planning, coordination with the Sites Project Authority, staff workshops, and community working group meetings. A second preconstruction phase will begin after the project secures full funding and awards guaranteed maximum price construction packages.
Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. Project plans target completion and the start of operations in 2033. The reservoir will supply water to participating agencies and allocate stored water for environmental use during dry periods.