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 feasability of the Sites Reservoir project. T

he 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.