California to provide 100% of water allocations for the first time since 2006
Eden Villalovas
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The California Department of Water Resources announced it would deliver 100% of the water requested by the state’s cities and farms for the first time since 2006. The news is the result of an extremely wet winter season.
The State Water Project will increase water supplies from 75%, the percentage previously announced in March. California reservoirs are reaching full capacity, and with summer approaching, snowmelt runoff is expected to be collected as well. The unusually wet winter in the West allowed 29 water agencies that cater to around 27 million customers and 750,000 acres of farmland to receive all their resource demands.
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“Water supply conditions and careful management of reservoir operations during this extreme winter allows DWR to maximize water deliveries while enhancing protections for the environment,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said. “DWR is moving and storing as much water as possible to the benefit of communities, agriculture, and the environment.”
The San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, which was only one-quarter full in December, is now full. Additionally, the SWP’s largest reservoir, Lake Oroville in Butte County, and multiple reservoirs in Southern California are predicted to be full by the end of May.
The Federal Bureau of Reclamation reported it would be increasing its 2023 Central Valley Project in a statement. It said it would be raising allocations for north- and south-of-delta contractors to 100% from 80%.
“As the water year progresses, changes in hydrology, actions that impact operations, and opportunities to deliver additional water will influence future allocations,” a statement read.
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The California Department of Water Resources noted that while water conditions have vastly improved since a three-year historic drought, many northern areas have been slow to recover.
“The Colorado River Basin, which is a critical water supply source for Southern California, is still in the midst of a 23-year drought. Californians should continue to use water wisely to help the state adapt to a hotter, drier future,” the department statement read.