More Dry Year Actions by the State

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board on Friday made announcements and took additional action in response to the dry conditions in California. DWR provided that: “except for a small amount of carryover water from 2013, customers of the State Water Project (SWP) will get no deliveries in 2014 if current dry conditions persist and deliveries to agricultural districts with long-standing water rights in the Sacramento Valley may be cut 50 percent — the maximum permitted by contract — depending upon future snow survey results. It is important to note that almost all areas served by the SWP have other sources of water, such as groundwater, local reservoirs, and other supplies.”

Additionally, the SWRCB conditionally approved a temporary urgency change permit requested by DWR and the Bureau of Reclamation “to adjust requirements for freshwater outflow in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in order to preserve stored water that may be needed later in the year….” The SWRCB has also indicated that it will begin issuing curtailment notices to post-1914 water right holders. The SWRCB will hold a workshop on February 18 to discuss these issues.

NCWA, in response to these actions, offered the following statement: “In Northern California, the lack of carryover storage in reservoirs from last year, coupled with minimal precipitation, has led to significant cutbacks in water use that will harm the Northern California economy and the environment. This year every drop of water will matter. These measures in the Delta are important for flexibility in the water system, thus allowing more water to be stored in Northern California, where water supplies will be critical to serve water for cities, farms, and birds in the North State–as well as optimizing cold water for salmon.”