California Ag Network

Tag: State Water Project

  • DWR Announces Initial State Water Project Allocation for 2026

    On December 1st, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced an initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation of 10 percent of requested supplies for the new water year (compared to last year’s initial allocation of 5%). This allocation represents the first water supply forecast of the season for the 29 public water agencies served by the SWP which provides water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.

    The SWP is contractually required to make an initial allocation forecast by December 1 each year. Since it is so early in the season, the initial allocation typically reflects current hydrological conditions, existing reservoir storage, and an assumption of dry conditions through the rest of the year. So far, the wet season is off to a good start with beneficial rain falling in Northern California and Southern California already seeing significant rainfall following a dry year last year.

    “Recent history has shown us that anything can happen during a California winter, so it’s important that our early season allocation for the State Water Project is conservative,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Traditionally our wettest months are yet to come. With improvements to forecasting and science, we are better prepared to capture water supply during wet periods if Mother Nature delivers.”

    Across the state, California’s water supply starts the season in good shape with statewide reservoir storage just above average at 114 percent. Lake Oroville, the SWP’s largest reservoir, is at 100 percent of average for this time of year, slightly above where it was at last December.

    Last year, the SWP’s initial allocation began at five percent and increased to 50 percent by the end of the season. As winter progresses, if the state sees an increase in rain and snowfall totals, the allocation forecast may increase as well.

    Each year, DWR provides the initial SWP allocation based on available water storage, projected water supply and water demands. Allocations are updated monthly as snowpack, rainfall and runoff data is analyzed, with a final allocation typically determined near the end of the season in May or June.

    Historical data on SWP allocations is available at https://water.ca.gov/programs/state-water-project/management/swp-water-contractors.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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