California Ag Network

Tag: Central Valley Project

  • Congressman Valadao Introduces California Water Legislation

    Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-21) recently introduced the Working to Advance Tangible and Effective Reforms (WATER) for California Act. This bill focuses on operational stability, infrastructure, and accountability to bring more water to the Central Valley. Congressman Valadao was joined in introduction by the entire California Republican delegation.

    “For too long, the Central Valley has suffered from devastating drought conditions, unfair water allocations, and a gross mismanagement of the water we do have by Sacramento bureaucrats and environmentalists,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bill will bring more water to the farmers, businesses, and rural communities in the Valley and throughout California, doing everything possible to survive this devastating drought. I promised my constituents that I would fight to secure a reliable and clean supply of water for our communities. This legislation would do just that by streamlining operations, expanding water storage infrastructure, and increasing accountability.”

    “As we continue to suffer through another year of drought, solutions must address both moving water to our communities and storing water during wet years for use during dry ones. That is why I am glad to join Congressman Valadao – who has been a leader on water and drought throughout his tenure in Congress – on introducing the WATER for California Act,” said Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23). “In a state like California, access to reliable and affordable water is more pressing than ever, and I applaud his efforts to advance commonsense solutions to ensure our constituents get the water they contract and pay for and improve California’s drought resiliency.”

    “The key long-term solutions for California’s water challenges involve restoring regulatory sanity to our water management regime and building the water storage and conveyance infrastructure necessary to supply our state with reliable and affordable water. The WATER for California Act will help make those solutions a reality. My California colleague Rep. David Valadao continues to be a leader on this critical issue for our state,” said Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42).

    “I’m proud to join with fellow members of the California congressional delegation to deliver improved access to water for all Californians. This bill provides funding for water storage projects across the state, and limits the damages that Governor Newsom and federal bureaucrats can inflict. Far too many Californians struggle with water shortages, including tens-of-thousands in my district alone. The provisions in this bill will make us more resilient against water shortages and droughts. I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill, and will continue to fight against the misguided priorities in Sacramento that values water for fish over people,” said Rep. Mike Garcia (CA-25).

    “Californians are all too familiar with the effects of water shortages worsened by bureaucratic mismanagement,” said Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-48). “I am proud to partner with Rep. Valadao in this important and ongoing effort to ensure that residents across our state have stable and reliable access to the water they need.”

    “Our water supply is essential for the public health and safety of our communities. Unfortunately, burdensome regulations and water mismanagement are worsening water shortages already hurting our workers, families and food supply chain due to the ongoing drought,” said Rep. Young Kim (CA-39). “I’m proud to join Rep. Valadao and my California colleagues to introduce the WATER for California Act to reduce regulatory burdens hindering water access, and I will do all I can to provide certainty and secure water for Californians.”

    “By systematically reining in and reforming a host of damaging government policies, this bill will take a major step toward ending the Central Valley water crisis and finally guaranteeing a stable water supply for our struggling families, farmers, and communities,” said Rep. Connie Conway (CA-22).

    “Droughts are nature’s fault; water shortages are our fault. Environmental extremists and overzealous bureaucrats have used the law to block water storage projects for years, resulting in an era of unnecessary self-imposed water shortages that have devastated entire communities,” said Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-04). “This legislation provides a common-sense approach to restoring abundance and delivery as principal objectives of federal water policy. It’s simple: More water is better than less water.”

    “For too long, farmers, ranchers, and municipalities have suffered from the gross mismanagement of California’s water by Washington and Sacramento. These unforced errors have led to drastic allocation cuts, fallow fields, perished livestock, tainted drinking water, and reduced water levels in reservoirs we rely on for fire suppression. To provide immediate relief as Water Year 2023 begins, this legislation overrides the man-made drought policies of Democrats in Sacramento and Washington by reinstating the 2019 Biological Opinions, while also opening up more funding for water storage. I look forward to continuing to work with my California colleagues to prioritize our limited water supplies for farms and our people,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01).

    “I’m proud to support Congressman Valadao’s WATER for California Act because it represents the kind of bipartisan, consensus-based approach that will make a lasting difference for California’s residents and its farmers. This creative legislation will achieve better resource coordination, enhanced water infrastructure, and improve essential water conveyance through the Delta,” said Rep Darrel Issa (CA-50).

    Background:

    The comprehensive legislation promotes water conveyance through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, consistent with the Endangered Species Act, and advances key surface water infrastructure projects. Among other provisions, the WATER for California Act:

    • Requires the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) be operated consistent with the 2019 regulations, which were independently peer-reviewed and informed by the most accurate, best available science, but allows modification under certain circumstances.
      • Why it matters: The 2019 Biological Opinions (BiOps) and Preferred Alternative inform corresponding long-term operations plans for the CVP and SWP. The Biden administration’s misguided attempt to reverse the 2019 BiOps has caused significant uncertainty for Valley farmers about their water supply.
    • Helps to ensure CVP and SWP water stakeholders receive the water they contract and pay for.
      • Why it matters: For the past two years, South-of-Delta agricultural repayment and water service contractors have received zero percent of their allocation from the CVP. This has resulted in extreme water loss for both agricultural producers and rural communities.
    • Provides eligibility for funding for the Shasta Enlargement Project.
      • Why it matters: The Shasta Enlargement Project is the most per acre/foot cost-effective water storage project in California, but the infrastructure bill explicitly excludes any of the $1.15B allocated for storage projects from going to the Shasta Project.
    • Reauthorizes the successful surface water storage project program and coordinated operations of the CVP and SWP established by the WIIN Act.
      • Why it matters: Water storage is critical to better preparing communities for drought conditions. The authorities under the WIIN Act that brought more water to the Valley expired in 2021, and this bill extends the storage project authorizations to 2028 and the operations provisions of the WIIN Act to 2033.

    The text of the bill can be found here.

  • Central Valley Project Begins 2023 Water Year with 3.6 million Acre-feet of Storage

    After a third straight year of severe drought, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project begins the 2023 water year with 3.6 million acre-feet of water in storage — one of the lowest starting points in recent years. The CVP’s major reservoirs are (from north to south) Trinity, Shasta, Folsom, New Melones, Millerton, and the federal share of San Luis Reservoir. The water year begins Oct. 1 each year and ends Sept. 30.

    “The 2022 water year was wetter than 2020 and 2021 in some areas of the state, but it was still well below average and came on such a large water supply deficit that it earned the title as the worst three-year drought on record with some of the driest winter months on record,” said Ernest Conant, regional director of the California-Great Basin region. “In order to navigate through this record-breaking drought, we had to modify operations outside of those considered in previous droughts and take a fresh look at every component of the CVP including facilities, contractors and environmental requirements.”

    The 2022 water year began with an atmospheric river that brought record rain to Northern California in October 2021. That was a followed by a blast of winter storms in December that produced more than 6 feet of Sierra snow by the end of the month. Then, the storm door slammed shut, ushering three months of record dryness in northern California. The snowpack, vital to the state’s water supply, was virtually non-existent by April 1.

    Reclamation responded with a 0% allocation to CVP agricultural contractors, an agreement to significantly reduce releases from Shasta and Trinity reservoirs to prioritize storage conservation and temperature management, reducing deliveries to Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, and releasing water from Friant Dam to fulfill obligations to senior water right holders, the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors.

    The table below shows reservoir capacities and end-of-year storage amounts for water years 2021 and 2022 for major CVP reservoirs. The following table compares end-of-year storages from water year 2017 to 2021. The amount of stored water at the end of the water year reflects the amount carried over into the new water year.

    Comparison of Previous End-of-Year Storage in Major CVP Reservoirs (Million Acre-Feet) 

    In anticipation of continued drought in 2023, Reclamation will pursue a water management strategy that emphasizes providing supplies for health and safety needs; maintaining suitable water quality in the Delta, which is the source of municipal drinking water for many communities; protecting species by meeting environmental requirements; conserving storage to meet future critical needs; and urban and agricultural water supplies.

    The CVP is the largest single source of irrigation water in California, typically supplying water to about 3 million acres of agricultural land in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. The CVP also provides urban water for millions of people and industrial water, including that essential to the San Francisco Bay Area’s economy. Water from the CVP is also vital for the environment, wildlife and fishery restoration, including providing water to 19 refuges in the Central Valley, and hydroelectric power production.

    During the 2022 water year, CVP powerplants generated about 2 billion kilowatt-hours, very much below an average year of about 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours. Project use is anticipated to have consumed about 20 percent of this energy; the remaining energy was made available to public agency contractors serve by the Western Area Power Administration.

    Reclamation continues to work with federal and state partner agencies and CVP water and power customers to prepare for potentially ongoing drought conditions. Another consecutive dry water year will require conservative planning and assertive multiagency action.

    For additional storage information, visit www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo; for additional information on the 2022 water year, visit www.usbr.gov/mp/drought.

  • Statement on Bureau of Reclamation’s Initial Water Supply Allocation

    FRESNO, CA – Yesterday, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced a 35% initial water allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water service contractors.
    Westlands appreciates that this initial allocation is higher than it otherwise would have been but for the diligent work by Reclamation staff to make the initial allocation as high as practicable. However, given the current hydrologic conditions, including above average precipitation and snowpack in the northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains, a 35% allocation is further evidence that the 2009 biological opinion controlling temperature management of Shasta Reservoir is placing unreasonable restrictions on CVP operations. Moreover, the 35% initial allocation demonstrates the need to update the existing biological opinions to reflect the science that has emerged over the last decade.
    This year total runoff into the Shasta, Trinity, and Folsom reservoirs during the months of April-July is projected to be 1.0 million-acre-feet (MAF), more than was projected at this time in 2012 when the District received a final allocation of 40%. Similarly, the same comparison shows the San Joaquin basin is expected to have 1.1 MAF more runoff into the New Melones, Don Pedro, and McClure reservoirs, and storage at the San Luis Reservoir is on track to be 140-thousand-acre feet more than at this time in 2012.
    For Westlands farmers, low initial allocations create uncertainty about how much of their land can be farmed and how much productive farmland will need to be fallowed and contribute to over pumping groundwater. Westlands looks forward to working with Reclamation and other federal and state agencies to reexamine regulatory restrictions that are imposing unreasonable restriction on operations of the CVP. Westland logo

  • Reclamation Releases Biological Assessment for CA Water Operations

    The Bureau of Reclamation released late last week the Biological Assessment for the re-initiation of consultation on the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. The document was transmitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for consideration in developing new biological opinions covering CVP and SWP operations. Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources re-initiated consultation in 2016 based on new information related to multiple years of drought and ongoing science efforts.

    In October 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West, citing the “diminished…ability” of America’s infrastructure “to deliver water and power in an efficient, cost‑effective way.” To that end, the Memorandum directed the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce to work together to complete the consultation process in a timely manner.

    The Biological Assessment supports Reclamation’s consultation pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It was prepared consistent with the timeline outlined in the Presidential Memorandum. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are expected to issue final biological opinions within 135 days.

    “It has been 10 years since the biological opinions on the coordinated long-term operation of the CVP and SWP were issued. Since then, we’ve experienced extreme drought and invested significant resources to advance the science of the Central Valley and the Delta in coordination with our state and federal partner agencies and stakeholders. The result of our investments is an improved understanding of the system,” said Mid-Pacific Regional Director Ernest Conant. “By expanding our toolkit with the best science and using what we know today, new biological opinions will allow us to maximize water and power benefits while supporting endangered fish populations.”

    The Biological Assessment analyzes potential effects of the proposed action on federally listed endangered and threatened species and critical habitat for these species. The proposed action incorporates the best available science into the operation of the CVP and SWP. Proposed actions outlined in the document include temperature management at Shasta Dam, fall habitat and salinity measures in the Delta, and entrainment management related to water exports. Together, these proposed actions aim to give water operators more flexibility, maximize water supply delivery and optimize power generation consistent with applicable laws.

    The Biological Assessment is available here.

  • Westlands Water District Selects New General Counsel

    On May 15, 2018, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors appointed Jon D. Rubin to the position of General Counsel, effective June 1, 2018.
    Mr. Rubin brings to the District a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to help handle the many issues and pressures the famers and people of Westlands face every day.
    As General Counsel, Mr. Rubin will work under the direction of the Board of Directors, in coordination with the General Manager, to manage the District’s legal affairs. In addition, Mr. Rubin will provide legal guidance to the Board of Directors and the District’s senior management staff.
    Mr. Rubin has represented Westlands and other Central Valley Project agricultural water service contractors during his entire 20-year legal career. Immediately prior to accepting the position of Westlands General Counsel, Mr. Rubin was employed as General Counsel by the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA). The SLDMWA is comprised of 28 water agencies, including Westlands, that deliver water to more than 2 million acres of land within the western San Joaquin Valley, San Benito, and Santa Clara counties.
    “Jon Rubin has proven over the years to be a tireless advocate for agencies that serve water to farmers, urban populations, and wildlife refuges,” said Westlands President Don Peracchi. “His legal experience and dedication to the diverse water interests of south-of-Delta CVP contractors make him a tremendous asset for the farmers in Westlands. We are fortunate to have him.”
    Mr. Rubin has been married for 14 years to his wife, Elaine. They have two children, Zachary, who is 11, and Jaymeson, who is 9. When not working, Mr. Rubin enjoys spending time with his family and the outdoors.