The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday announced its initial water allocation for the year following California’s winter storms, with south-of-Delta contractors receiving 35% of contracted supplies. At the same time, the California Department of Water Resources increased State Water Project allocations to 35%, up from 20% in January.
DWR Director Karla Nemeth described in a statement how this winter has been primarily dry, only punctuated briefly by heavy storms.
"Those conditions mean we must move as much water when it’s available and as safely as possible," said Nemeth, acknowledging the need for new infrastructure to move and store more water.
DWR noted that the proposed Sites Reservoir Project and Delta Conveyance Project could have doubled the allocation announced today. The use of “storm flex” provisions in February, meanwhile, allowed water managers to add an extra 16,000 acre feet of water into the San Luis Reservoir, now at 81% capacity.
The State Water Contractors welcomed the SWP increase but stressed that Delta infrastructure and operational challenges still need fixes and that adaptive management efforts are important but not enough to make a difference with the new allocation. Pierre praised “DWR’s continued focus on science to inform environmentally-protective opportunities for increased water deliveries.”
Federico Barajas, executive director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, said that while their 35% CVP allocation is an improvement from last year's 15%, his members were hoping for more with the current high storage and Delta outflow following the February storms.
Friant Water Authority called its 45% CVP allocation “sensible,” adding that it matches with current hydrology and snowpack conditions. The FWA thanked Reclamation for making a speedy announcement and helping its users plan ahead for the water year.
DWR will hold its third snow survey of the year on Friday. The statewide snowpack stands at 87% of average for this time of year while reservoir levels are 119% of average.
