June 16, 2015
The Sacramento River Settlement Contractors (SRSC’s), representing approximately 450,000 acres in the western Sacramento Valley, are evaluating the revised Central Valley Project (CVP) operations plan for the remainder of this water year. The SRSC’s continue to be committed to working with the federal and state agencies to manage water resources in the Sacramento Valley for multiple beneficial purposes that include water for cities, rural communities, farms, fish and wildlife and their habitats.
While a significant operations agreement was approved earlier this spring, recent concern about cold water availability from Shasta Reservoir and in the Sacramento River for winter run salmon have resulted in the agencies revising operations for 2015. The agencies’ new flow proposal would limit releases from Shasta Reservoir to 7,250cfs, which represents an approximate 20% reduction in July from the original operations agreement, and will severely limit operational flexibility within all regions of the CVP.
Like 2014, when the SRSC’s diverted less than 75% of their total contract supply, the SRSC’s will continue to aggressively and creatively manage their water supplies in 2015 to address the extraordinary drought conditions. In addition, the SRSC’s have made arrangements to transfer twice as much water as 2014 to provide critical water supplies to areas of need in California.
The revised plan may further decrease diversions by approximately 20% in the critical crop irrigation month of July. In response to the revised plan, the SRSC’s will be taking further action to stretch available supplies to meet demands, which may include increased groundwater pumping consistent with the emergency authority approved by the Governor this year.
Regardless of the SRSC’s creative actions, there will need to be more flexible operations this summer than proposed by the agencies, including increased releases from Shasta Reservoir during the month of July to adequately meet all of these beneficial purposes in the Sacramento Valley, as well as providing critical water supplies for other parts of the state.
The SRSC’s and water suppliers throughout the region will continue to diligently work with our conservation partners to advance the Salmon Recovery Program for the Sacramento Valley and to maximize water supplies for bird habitat along the Pacific Flyway.
For additional information, please contact Lewis Bair at lbair@rd108.org, (530) 437-2221; or Thad Bettner at tbettner@gcid.net, (530) 934-8881.
