California Ag Network

Tag: DWR

  • Reclamation and DWR Seek Temporary Changes to Delta Outflow Requirements to Preserve Water Storage Amid Extreme Drought Conditions

    Today, the Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources jointly filed a Temporary Urgency Change Petition with the State Water Resources Control Board to temporarily modify requirements in water right permits and licenses for the Central Valley Project and State Water Project between April 1 and June 30. These changes are in response to a historically dry January, February, and first half of March, which are typically our wettest months. Facing a third consecutive year of critically dry conditions, these changes are expected to conserve vital water supplies in upstream reservoirs for critical needs later in the year, including public health and safety, and environmental needs.

    After a series of strong December storms, Reclamation and DWR had been hopeful that water from Folsom and Oroville reservoirs would provide for adequate water supply and environmental needs later in the year and a TUCP would not be necessary. However, following the historically dry January and February, Folsom and Oroville are seeing unprecedented declines in inflow forecast. With this decrease in expected inflow, these reservoirs cannot support Delta outflows as expected and there is inadequate storage in other CVP and SWP reservoirs to meet other critical water supply and environmental needs later in the year without a TUCP in place.

    “Reclamation and DWR, along with the federal and state fish agencies, have been coordinating throughout the winter to address increasingly challenging hydrologic conditions for environmental flows and water supply,” said Reclamation Regional Director Ernest Conant. “We all recognize what a difficult year this is going to be for everyone. It’s definitely another roll-up-your-sleeves, all-hands-on-deck water year.”

    “DWR has been planning for conditions to remain dry since the start of the water year on October 1. We are facing tough but important decisions about how to manage the system for a third year of drought,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We are taking critical steps like submitting the Temporary Urgency Change Petition in coordination with our federal and state partners, to balance the needs of endangered species, water supply conservation, and water deliveries to Californians.”

    As part of the all-hands approach, DWR is also planning to refill the notch in the Emergency Drought Salinity Barrier in the Delta. Work will begin on April 1 to fill in the notch, with completion by April 15. The barrier reduces the amount of saltwater intrusion into the Delta, allowing for reduced flows from upstream reservoirs to conserve water supply. Additionally, based on a recognition by Reclamation and DWR as to the importance of better understanding the source of harmful algal blooms and their impact upon the Delta region, the two are committed to fully participating in multi-agency efforts to address this issue, such as that recognized by the Water Board in response to comments received on the 2021 drought actions.

    Additional operational flexibility of the Projects is needed to support priorities, including: providing for minimum health and safety water supplies; preserving upstream storage for release later in the summer to control saltwater intrusion into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; preserving cold water in Shasta Lake and other reservoirs to maintain cool river temperatures for Chinook salmon and steelhead; maintaining protections for state and federally endangered and threatened species; and meeting critical water supply needs.

    View the TUCP. Visit the California drought page for drought resource information.

  • Improving California’s Water Market

    Water trading and banking are important tools that can help California bring its groundwater basins into balance by the early 2040s, as mandated by the 2014 Sustainable Water Management Act (SGMA). But the expansion of the state’s water market still faces some bottlenecks, including aging infrastructure and complex regulations. The stakes for preserving California’s groundwater are rising, however, as is interest in improving the state’s water market.

    “Groundwater…is a really important drought reserve for California,” said Ellen Hanak, director of the PPIC Water Policy Center, at a virtual event last week. “By the time you get into the second and third dry year, you really need to lean on your groundwater very heavily. One of the challenges in California is that we’ve been leaning on it too heavily.”

    Water trading and banking can help. Hanak and PPIC research fellow Andrew Ayres convened a panel to discuss a new report about how to improve the state’s water market in order to aid SGMA implementation and increase drought resilience across the state.

    “Water trading, whether it’s temporary, over a long-term basis, or a permanent sale, can significantly lower the cost of managing water demand,” said Hanak. She said flexible water trading within the San Joaquin Valley, for example, could reduce the cost of getting basins into balance by about two-thirds—thereby saving jobs and preserving the region’s economy. Groundwater banking is also a key tool for augmenting the water supply and managing increasing climatic risk, she said.

    But creating effective and responsible water markets within the state will take work. Andrew Ayres moderated a discussion with three experts about the challenges and opportunities they face.

    Kathy Cortner, general manager of the Mojave Water Agency, described her basin as something of a groundwater success story. After an adjudication process that lasted six years, the basin entered into a judgment in 1996. “What that judgment did was set the framework for allocating a base water right. Over time, the judgment called for a rampdown…it provides a path for people to adjust to a declining amount of water to pump.” There were difficult years, she said, but trading allowed farmers to adjust gradually.

    Stephanie Anagnoson of Madera County says her county has land in three sub-basins. The county is the lead groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) for ground-water dependent lands in these basins. The GSA has been working to address groundwater overdraft through a portfolio of programs, including aggressive recharge activities and land repurposing. It is also one of the first to adopt groundwater allocations under SGMA. “What would have been helpful for us was step-by-step [information] on how to develop an allocation, because that took about two years,” Anagnoson said. “And while there are some white papers, there certainly wasn’t state guidance on that.” The GSA has also been exploring the establishment of a groundwater market for trading allocations of sustainable yield—initially with a tool that allows water users to simulate trading.

    Thaddeus Bettner of Glenn Colusa Irrigation District said that despite glitches with water markets, things are improving. “DWR has been great about funding the development of our GSPs…We really appreciate the groundwater division in DWR for that effort,” he said. Furthermore, “DWR and the Bureau of Reclamation have also developed on an online approval process [for surface water transfers] that has been really helpful to expedite the process.” Still, hurdles remain.

    Near the end of the discussion, Ellen Hanak shared the news that 15 minutes before the event began, the governor had signed several bills that include money for improving the state’s water resilience, including a new program for multi-benefit farmland repurposing under SGMA. “I know it’s small, but it’s a piece of good news,” she said, ending the event on a positive note for a drought-plagued state.

    We invite you to watch the event video. — By Sarah Bardeen, Public Policy Institute of California

  • State Develops Tool and Recommendations to Support Those Most Vulnerable to Drought

    With drought conditions returning to California, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has finalized a tool and recommendations to support those communities most at risk during drought.

    Historically, small water systems and rural communities that rely on private domestic wells have been hit the hardest by prolonged periods of dry conditions. To provide increased state support, DWR led a two-year process learning from stakeholder experiences about what puts small water systems and rural communities at higher risk of water shortages and what is needed to build their resilience to drought.

    Dried earth is seen at Lake Mendocino in Mendocino County (Photo taken April 20, 2021).

    The final report is now available online and could inform future legislation and efforts to help small water suppliers and rural communities reduce their risk of inadequate water supply amid a drought or other extreme event.

    Recommendations in the report include:

    Planning: Small water suppliers serving more than 1,000 customers would create an abridged version of a water shortage contingency plan. This plan would be a less stringent version of the water contingency plan that urban water suppliers are required to submit as part of their Urban Water Management Plans every five years. The report also calls for county governments or regional entities to conduct water shortage contingency planning to cover all their rural communities.

    • Preparedness: Small water systems should compile a list of resources needed to assist them in a drought or water shortage emergency. The list could include local community-based organizations that work with vulnerable populations, contractors for drilling wells, certified water haulers, and emergency shower vendors. DWR recommends that counties and regional entities use periodic statewide water shortage risk assessment prepared by the state to prioritize needs for drought and water shortage assistance.In addition to the report,a new online tool has been finalized that enables small water suppliers and rural communities to explore their relative risk of water shortage. The tool represents California’s first effort to systematically and holistically describe the risk of water shortage across small water suppliers and rural communities statewide. This information will also be useful for groundwater sustainability agencies as they develop and implement groundwater sustainability plans as part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

      Small water systems that serve 15 to 2,999 customers and those serving schools were assessed. The analysis of rural communities seeks to assess water shortage risk for households on domestic wells and those customers served by “state smalls,” or water suppliers serving fewer than 15 customers.

      The recommendations contained in the report were developed in coordination with multiple state agencies and vetted through an extensive stakeholder process with input from the County Drought Advisory Group, which included nearly three dozen experts in this field.

  • $26 Million to Support Critically Overdrafted Groundwater Basins in CA

    The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today awarded $26 million in grant funding for capital project investments to improve water supply security, water quality and the reliability of domestic wells – advancing access to safe, affordable drinking water.

    This funding provides important assistance for successful local implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which establishes a framework for managing the state’s groundwater resources and will help California be better prepared for longer, more severe droughts.

    “California’s current drought conditions following a second consecutive dry year speak to the importance of managing our groundwater for long-term reliability,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Today’s funding awards further the state’s support for local leaders as they manage their groundwater supplies, particularly supporting communities at risk of drought impacts.”

    Groundwater, an important source of water that is stored underground, often serves as a critical buffer against the impacts of drought and climate change. This grant funding supports projects that enhance groundwater quality, help make groundwater wells more reliable and less likely to run dry, reduce the risk of subsidence, increase drought resiliency, reduce flood risks, and create more reliable dry-year water supplies during future droughts.

    The six awards include 16 individual construction projects within critically overdrafted groundwater basins in the Central Valley. One of the projects, located in Fresno County, will construct 60 wells that will be used to replenish depleted groundwater aquifers with stormwater.

    An additional three projects will create infrastructure to use Flood Managed Aquifer Recharge (Flood-MAR) on 45,000 acres of agricultural land in Madera County. Flood-MAR is an integrated resource management strategy that harnesses flood water from rainfall or snow melt and redirects it onto agricultural, working landscapes, and managed natural lands to recharge parched aquifers.

    All of the awards will partially or solely benefit underrepresented communities that have limited access to safe, affordable drinking water. Funding for these awards was made possible by voter-approved Proposition 68. DWR will begin working with grantees immediately to develop and execute grant agreements. The selection of a second round of grants is expected to begin in spring 2022 and will offer approximately $70 million in competitive grant funding.

    For more information, please visit the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program webpage.

  • Governor Newsom’s Response to Drought Conditions

    With much of the West experiencing drought conditions and California squarely in a second consecutive dry year, Governor Gavin Newson today directed state agencies to take immediate action to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses and ecosystems if dry conditions extend to a third year.

    In addition, the Governor proclaimed a regional drought emergency for the Russian River watershed in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, where reservoirs are at record lows following two critically dry years and accelerated action may be needed to protect public health, safety and the environment.

    “California is facing the familiar reality of drought conditions, and we know the importance of acting early to anticipate and mitigate the most severe impacts where possible,” Governor Newsom said. “Climate change is intensifying both the frequency and the severity of dry periods. This ‘new normal’ gives urgency to building drought resilience in regions across the state and preparing for what may be a prolonged drought at our doorstep.”

    The text of today’s emergency proclamation can be found here.

    With an extremely low Lake Mendocino as a backdrop, the Governor today announced that he is directing state agencies to work with regional and local governments – including groundwater sustainability agencies – to identify watersheds, communities, public water systems and ecosystems that may require coordinated state and local actions to address drought impacts and protect people, natural resources and economic activity.

    To encourage Californians to reduce water use and conserve supplies in case drought conditions continue next year, the proclamation also directs state agencies to partner with local water suppliers to promote conservation tips and messages through the Save Our Water campaign. The campaign and website were critical resources for Californians during the 2012-2016 drought and remain a trusted information source on using water wisely.

    The proclamation directs additional actions to coordinate with California Native American tribes; accelerate funding for water supply enhancement, conservation and species protection projects; work with counties to encourage and track reporting of household water shortages including dry residential wells; provide technical and financial assistance for water systems at risk of water shortages; support the agricultural economy and food security; and evaluate and take action to protect terrestrial and aquatic species.

    To address acute drought impacts in the Russian River watershed, the proclamation directs the State Water Board to consider modifying requirements for reservoir releases or diversion limitations to ensure adequate supplies for critical purposes. The regional state of emergency also enables flexibilities in regulatory requirements and procurement processes to mitigate drought impacts.

    Under the Governor’s direction, state agencies have been working together since November to prepare for continued dry conditions. The Governor recently formalized that coordination through the Drought Resilience Task Force, which includes the Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Finance, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Health and Human Services Agency, California Public Utilities Commission and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

    Other recent actions by state agencies to address dry conditions include:

    • The state has launched a new drought preparedness website detailing current conditions, the state’s response and informational resources for the public.
    • The State Water Board has identified water suppliers at extreme financial risk that may need additional support due to the combined impacts of COVID and drought.
    • The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has updated its Dry Well website that tracks reports of water supply outages.
    • DWR has drafted a Drought Contingency Plan that explains how it will manage the State Water Project in a manner that protects fish and wildlife.
    • The State Water Board has issued letters to approximately 40,000 water right holders across the state, advising them to plan for potential shortages by closely managing water use.
    • Last month, DWR released a report, prepared with extensive stakeholder involvement, that evaluates the water shortage risk of more than 4,000 small water providers.
    • Informed by that report, this month the State Water Board completed its first-ever comprehensive look at California water systems that are struggling to provide safe drinking water to communities and how to help them. The assessment identifies both failing water systems and those at risk of failing, offering the most in-depth view of long-term drinking water safety the state has ever had.
    • CDFA is coordinating closely with the USDA to provide aid to growers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife is working with California Native American tribes and commercial and recreational salmon representatives to manage impacts to iconic salmon in the basin.

    The 2012-2016 drought helped usher in some important water resilience policies that position the state to better handle another drought. These include:

    • Enactment in 2014 of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to require and empower local agencies to bring overdrafted groundwater basins into sustainable conditions by 2042.
    • Enactment of legislation to establish new standards for indoor, outdoor and industrial use of water.
    • Funding for disadvantaged communities lacking access to safe drinking water through the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Act.
    • Increase in the frequency of water use reporting.
    • Expanded state authority to order failing public water systems to consolidate with better-run systems.
    • Tighter landscape efficiency standards for new developments.

  • DWR Increases Water Supply Allocation to State Water Contractors

    Sacramento, Calif., (May 2, 2018) – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced a statewide increase in State Water Project (SWP) allocations for 2018. SWP contractors can now expect to receive 30 percent of their requests, up from the initial 15 percent allocation in December and the 20 percent announced in January.

    “Late precipitation and snow in March has brought us closer to an average year, however, this year has been anything but normal,” said Karla Nemeth, DWR Director. “While our storage is in good shape, our snowpack is low. California’s highly variable weather reminds us that prudent planning and water conservation is a necessity and is the new norm.”

    A 30 percent allocation amounts to 1,268,724 acre-feet of water, distributed among the 29 SWP contractors who serve more than 27 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of farmland.

    A 100 percent allocation is rare even in wet years due to Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish species. The last 100 percent allocation was in 2006.

    One of the leading factors in determining allocations is snow water content. The statewide snow water content is currently 37 percent of average. Despite the above-normal precipitation received in March and April, warm temperatures increased runoff and snowmelt in the Northern Sierra, resulting in diminished snowpack for this time of year.

    The state’s major reservoirs continue to be well above their historical averages. San Luis Reservoir, the largest off-stream reservoir in the United States where water is stored for the SWP and Central Valley Project (CVP), is at 89 percent of capacity. Shasta Lake, the CVP’s largest reservoir, is at 92 percent of capacity. Lake Oroville is at 67 percent of capacity. New Melones Lake is at 86 percent of capacity.

    DWR’s California Data Exchange Center website provides current water conditions at the state’s largest reservoirs and weather stations and measures current rain and snow precipitation.

    For more information, follow us on Twitter or Facebook, read our news releases

  • CDFA and DWR Award $4.6 Million To Improve Water Efficiency

    Sacramento, Calif., (October 24, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) have announced the recipients of a joint water efficiency grant. The North San Joaquin Water Conservation District and 19 farm operations within the district will receive $4.6 million to improve water delivery and on-farm water efficiency.

    The improvements will bring surface water supplies to farms that currently depend exclusively on groundwater for irrigation, helping to ease demands on critically overdrafted basins in the region. Growers can also use grant funds to adopt water conservation technologies such as drip irrigation, moisture sensors and weather stations to reduce water use.

    “It is essential that we think about water distribution at irrigation districts as well as on the farm,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This grant is a smart investment in improving our water-use efficiency and managing our groundwater basins for future droughts.  Our thanks to the Department of Water Resources for joining us in this critically important program.”

    The grant combines dollars from Proposition 1, a $7.5 billion bond measure approved by California voters in 2014, and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), a CDFA program that provides financial assistance for California farms to save water and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

    “This investment will return dividends in a more sustainable groundwater future for California,” said Department of Water Resources Director Grant Davis. “These grants provide opportunities for communities to become more water efficient and at the same time, assist in efforts to improve the sustainability of California’s groundwater resources.”

    The joint award given by DWR and CDFA is a pilot project to maximize environmental and production benefits. In order to receive funding, successful applicants designed projects that met specific requirements – including cost, feasibility, water savings and GHG reductions.

    The cooperative project is expected to result in water savings of over 553 million gallons and GHG reductions of 97 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. Other expected benefits include greater energy efficiency and improved nutrient management.

    A list of the selected agricultural operations can be found at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/JointPilotProgram.html