Administrative Hearings Office

Water Right Permitting Matters
Sites Project Authority - Application 25517X01

Documents | Calendar

Sites Hearings

Date Topic Recording (YouTube Link)
2025

* The following hearing schedule is tentative and subject to change at the hearing officer's discretion

March 6

Coordinating NGO witnesses' rebuttal testimony, cont.

March 5

SDWA rebuttal testimony, cont:
Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, Salinity

Coordinating NGO witnesses' rebuttal testimony
Les Marston
Eli Asarian
Betsy Bruner
Shawn Smallwood
Mark Buckley
Krystal Moreno
Mark Easter
Chris Shutes
Jon Rosenfield

March 4

Sites Project Authority’s Panel 5:
Jennifer Hale, Terrestrial Impacts
Lisa Webber, Terrestrial Impacts

South Delta Water Agency rebuttal testimony:
Gregory Wilson, Project permitting
Thomas Burke, Modeling; Hydrology; Existing operations and requirements.

February 26

Department of Water Resources rebuttal testimony:

Aaron Miller, Water Operations and Planning for State Water Project

State Water Contractors rebuttal testimony:

Brandon Goshi, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Need for Additional Supply

Morning Session

Afternoon Session
February 25

Sites Project Authority's Panel 6:
Kyle Winslow, Sites Reservoir Water Release Temperatures; HABs
Anne Huber, Sites Reservoir Water Release Temperatures; HABs
Lesa Erecius, Sites Reservoir Water Release Temperatures; HABs

Morning Session

Afternoon Session
February 24

Panel 2, cont.:

Panel 3:
Jordon Navarrot, Agricultural Water Management Planning
Hal Charter, Agricultural Water Management Planning
Rob Kunde, Agricultural Water Management Planning

Panel 4:
Marin Greenwood, Fisheries Impacts

Morning Session

Afternoon Session
February 21

Sites Project Authority rebuttal testimony panels,

Sites Project Authority, Panel 1:
Angela Bezzone, Water Availability

Panel 2:
Alicia Forsythe, Funks/Stone Corral Creeks, Colusa Basin Drain, Exchanges, South-of Delta (SOD) Exports
Angela Bezzone, Funks/Stone Corral Creeks, Colusa Basin Drain, Exchanges, SOD Exports

Morning Session

Afternoon Session
February 6

Sites Project Authority's presentation of ITP-related testimony

Panel 3:
Chad Whittington, CalSim II modeling assumptions used for ITP Application
Marin Greenwood, Impacts on Salmonids, Smelts, Sturgeon with Operation ITP conditions
Richard Wilder, Impacts on Salmonids; Sturgeon; Lamprey; and other Far-Field effects with Operation ITP conditions

Panel 4:
Wesley Walker, Water availability analysis with ITP terms and conditions

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
February 3

Sites Project Authority's presentation of ITP-related testimony

Panel 1:
Alicia Forsythe, Overview of ITP development, content, and implementation

Panel 2:
Jennifer Hale, Terrestrial wildlife impacts with Construction ITP conditions
Lisa Webber, Terrestrial landcover and special-status plants with Construction ITP conditions

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
2024
November 7 South Delta Water Agency et al. case-in-chief:
Joey Ratto, Farming; Water quality and levels
Morning Session
November 4

Clarke Ornbaun case-in-chief

NGO parties’ case-in-chief, cont:
Jon Rosenfield, Flow hydrology impact, Fish flow requirements impact

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
October 23

South Delta Water Agency et al. case-in-chief (re-direct of Gregory Wilson and Thomas Burke, cont.)

South Delta Water Agency et al. case-in-chief:
Richard Pellegri, Farming; water quality and levels
Dante Nomellini Sr., Regulatory requirements and considerations; Water rights deficiencies of petition; Injury to lawful water users
Bruce Herbold, Fisheries; Outflow; Hydrology; water quality

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
October 22

South Delta Water Agency et al. case-in-chief (cross-exam of Gregory Wilson and Thomas Burke, cont.)

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
October 21 NGO coordinating parties’ case-in-chief, cont.:

Jacob Kann,Water quality effects from reservoir operations, including HABs, nutrients and methylation of mercury reservoir impact
Eli Asarian, Water quality effects from reservoir operations, including water temperature and HABs. Impacts of releases on downstream beneficial uses.

South Delta Water Agency et al. opening statement and case-in-chief:
Gregory Wilson, Project permitting
Thomas Burke, Modeling; Hydrology; Existing operations and requirements.

Morning Session
Afternoon Session

October 10 NGO coordinating parties’ case-in-chief (cross-exam of Eli Asarian, cont.)

Ben King case-in-chief: Availability of water, water quality, special statutes, SGMA GSP status, existing water rights, operations plan omissions, scope and capacity of public agencies

Morning Session
Afternoon Session

October 9 NGO parties’ case-in-chief:
Bruce Reznik, Local water supply alternatives
Jeffrey Michael, Economic impacts of Sites Reservoir
Eli Asarian, Alternative water supplies for agriculture
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
October 8 NGO coordinating parties’ case-in-chief:
Scott Artis, Fisheries impacts
Mark Easter, Greenhouse gas emissions
George Bradshaw, Fisheries impacts
Shawn Smallwood, Riparian, avian, terrestrial ecology impact
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
October 2

NGO coordinating parties’ case-in-chief (cross-exam of Sherri Norris, cont.)

NGO parties’ case-in-chief:
Ronald Stork, Sites Reservoir in the context of historical and current California water policy
Chris Shutes, Effects of Sites diversion on the Sacramento River hydrograph
Christina Swanson, Climate change impacts

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 30

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 8, cont.

NGO coordinating parties’ opening statements and case-in-chief:
Sherri Norris, Tribal Beneficial Uses, Harmful algal blooms (HABs); impacts to tribes
Lester Marston, Tribal water rights
Gary Mulcahy, Tribal cultural resources impact; impacts to Winnemem Wintu
Malissa Tayaba, Impacts to tribes, impacts to
Tribal Beneficial Uses, impacts to
Shingle Springs Band

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 24

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 9, cont.

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 10:
Kevin Spesert, Land acquisition
JP Robinette, Facilities access

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 8:
Cory Matsui, Greenhouse gas analysis
Kirsten Jaglo, Greenhouse gas analysis

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 23 Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 7, cont.

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 9:
Alicia Forsythe, Tribal consultation
Danielle Risse, Tribal cultural resources; mitigation

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 16 Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 6, cont. Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 18

Sites Project Authority, Panel 6, cont.

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 7:
Lisa Webber, Terrestrial; Landcover and special-status plants
Jennifer Hale, Terrestrial; Wildlife impacts

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 11 Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 4, cont.

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 6:
Rick Wilder, Salmonids; Sturgeon; Lamprey; Far-Field effects
Sophie Unger, Wetted area analysis
Marin Greenwood, Salmonids; Smelts; Sturgeon
Jason Hassrick, Aquatic study plan; Funks and Stone Corral Creeks
John Spranza, Adaptive management plan
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 6

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 5:
Anne Huber, Metals; HABs; Pesticides; Salinity; Temperature
Cameron Irvine, Mercury

Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 4:
Angela Bezzone, Water availability analysis
Wesley Walker, Water availability analysis

Morning Session
Afternoon Session
September 3 Sites Project Authority, Panel 3, cont. Morning Session
Afternoon Session
August 29 Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 3:
Steve Micko, Project modeling integration
Chad Whittington, CalSim II; Surface water impacts
Samaneh Saadat, DSM 2; HEC5Q; Temperature blending model
Kyle Winslow, Reservoir temperature (CE QUAL-W2)
Jeff Davids, Groundwater
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
August 28 Sites Project Authority case-in-chief, Panel 2:
Angela Bezzone, Petitions for partial assignment and release from priority
Alicia Forsythe, Local planning coordination
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
August 27 Sites Project Authority’s opening statement, and case-in-chief, Panel 1:
Jerry Brown, Project overview; governance; project benefits
JP Robinette, Project facilities
Angela Bezzone, Project operations; water right terms; beneficial uses
Jeff Herrin, Proposition 1
Alicia Forsythe, Permits; CEQA; Realizing project benefits
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
August 19 Policy statements Public Hearing (Virtual)
Morning Session
Afternoon Session