California Constrution News staff writer
Dozens of construction laborers protested Friday morning as the Sites Project Authority selected Montana-based Barnard Construction Company Inc. as construction manager at risk for the reservoir and roads package of the Sites Reservoir Project, a contract valued at up to $3 billion.
The protesters, wearing neon vests and work boots, gathered outside and inside the meeting room in Maxwell, about 10 miles east of the valley where construction will take place. They voiced concerns from several Northern California labor unions about Barnard’s ability to handle a project of the reservoir’s scale, including questions about who the company would hire since Barnard is an out-of-state and non-union contractor.
Despite the opposition, the board voted to award Barnard the contract, which includes construction of two large dams and nine smaller embankments, the three-quarter-mile Sites–Lodoga Bridge, and an inlet-outlet structure to manage water imports and exports. Sites Reservoir, a proposed 1.5 million acre-foot off-stream storage facility, is designed to increase statewide water supply and provide environmental benefits for wildlife and habitats during droughts.
“This is a major milestone for reaching construction of Sites Reservoir and ensures we can advance a project that is constructable, cost-effective, and designed to serve California for generations,” said Fritz Durst, chair of the Sites Project Authority board of directors. Board member Jeff Sutton, of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, added: “Every month we waste is $20 million more to the price of the project… We’ve got to get going because the next drought is coming.”
The initial contract covers preconstruction planning, allowing Barnard to provide input as the project advances from 30% design toward construction, expected to begin in late 2026. Preconstruction will be carried out in two phases, with the second phase beginning once all project funding is secured and guaranteed maximum price construction packages are developed.
Barnard Construction said it looks forward to working with the Authority, project partners and local communities to deliver the project, which is expected to cost more than $6 billion overall.
Responding to concerns in a letter to the Sites Authority, Barnard officials called the concerns from the Northern California Carpenters Union “misinformation.”
The board apologized on social media to the community following the protest.
“We want to apologize to the Maxwell community for the disruption outside our office today,” the board said. “A major project milestone—selecting our CMAR contractor—prompted increased activity. We’re committed to being good neighbors and making this project a positive addition to the Sac Valley.”
