SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation today announced the initial 2017 water supply allocation for Central Valley Project contractors in the Friant Division, Eastside Division and Municipal & Industrial Water Service Contractors in the American River Division.
“The 2017 water year has been an extreme year thus far, with precipitation throughout the Central Valley on track to be the highest in our historic records," said Reclamation’s Acting Mid-Pacific Regional Director Pablo Arroyave. “As such, Reclamation is taking an approach to the announcement of CVP water allocations this year that differs from our historic practice."
Given that inflow to Shasta Lake has already exceeded the volume necessary
to be certain that this is not declared a Shasta Critical Year, Reclamation
has notified the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, San Joaquin River
Exchange Contractors and Refuge Contractors of that fact. Regarding the
remainder of the allocations to CVP contractors, although the CVP is
operationally integrated, each individual reservoir has unique and specific
operational criteria that must also be met. With this initial allocation
announcement, Reclamation is targeting districts that receive water
directly from Folsom, New Melones and Millerton reservoirs given the large
snow pack and unusually high projected runoff this spring and summer.
The remaining water service contractors can expect an initial contract
allocation amount in mid-to-late March. As Reclamation continues to refine
the water supply allocation for these contractors, Reclamation will take
advantage of the current hydrology to ensure specific districts’ water
needs are met to the maximum extent practicable. While this allocation
approach is warranted now, in future years Reclamation will continue to
strive to release initial allocations for all water users in February.
Specific to the South-of-Delta water service contractors, a substantial
amount of CVP water is already in storage south of the Delta, and the
Federal share of San Luis Reservoir will be full within the first week of
March. Given the extraordinary large snow pack and very high river flows
this year, much of the water currently in storage in the Federal share of
San Luis Reservoir will be available for delivery to CVP water service
contractors this spring and summer.
Reclamation currently estimates that at least 900 thousand acre-feet of
water will be available for delivery to South-of-Delta water service
contractors this year, and additional supplies will likely be available
once seasonal operational forecasts are developed later in March. The 900
taf estimate represents the combined delivery of both 2017 CVP supplies and
carryover supplies from last year. The exact amount of each type of supply
is subject to hydrologic conditions this spring, and the overall allocation
of water south of the Delta must be validated by the operational studies to
be based on the March 1 snow surveys and runoff forecasts.
The California Department of Water Resources reports that as of Feb. 27,
2017, the statewide average snow water equivalent in the Sierra Nevada was
45 inches, as compared to 21 inches on Feb. 27, 2016. Precipitation is
currently over 200 percent of the seasonal average to date for the Sierra
Nevada for this point in the water year (beginning Oct. 1, 2016).
Reclamation determines the allocation of water for CVP contractors based
upon many factors, including hydrologic conditions, reservoir storage
levels, water quality requirements, water rights, contractual obligations
and endangered species protection measures. After evaluating these factors,
Reclamation is announcing the initial allocation to the following:
American River Division Contractors
* American River Division M&I water service contractors will receive
100 percent of their contract supply.
Friant Division Contractors
* Pursuant to Reclamation’s previous discussions with Friant Division
contractors and based upon Millerton Lake storage as well as current and
forecasted hydrologic conditions in the Upper San Joaquin River Basin, the
Friant Division allocation is 100 percent of Class 1 supplies. In addition,
as long as current hydrologic and operational conditions exist and there is
a need to evacuate water from Millerton Lake in order to prevent or
minimize spill or to meet flood control criteria (currently referred to as
“uncontrolled season"), Friant contractors may schedule and take delivery
of Class 2 supplies up to the contract maximum, consistent with contract
terms and conditions.
* Unreleased Restoration Flow supply related to the San Joaquin River
Restoration Program of 358,730 acre-feet are being made available in a
block that needs to be scheduled and delivered by June 15 to avert flood
management concerns.
Eastside Water Service Contractors
* Eastside water service contractors (Central San Joaquin Water
Conservation District and Stockton East Water District) will receive 100
percent of their contract supply.
This initial allocation is based on a conservative estimate of the amount
of water that will be available for delivery to these CVP water users and
reflects current reservoir storages, precipitation, and snowpack in the
Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. “We will continue to carefully monitor
hydrologic conditions and collaborate with our stakeholders and partners to
manage our water resources as effectively as possible," said Arroyave.
The CVP began the 2017 water year last October with 4.9 million acre-feet
of carryover storage in six key CVP reservoirs - Shasta, Trinity, Folsom,
Millerton, New Melones and the Federal share of San Luis Reservoir. This is
82 percent of the 15-year average annual carryover and 2 million acre-feet
more than the amount with which the Mid-Pacific Region began WY 2016 on
Oct. 1, 2015.
As the water year progresses, changes in hydrology and opportunities to
deliver additional water will influence future allocations. Water supply
updates will be made as appropriate and posted at
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp-water/index.html
.
For additional information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at
916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or emailmppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
