News Release Archive

Reclamation's Central Valley Project Carries Over 8.3 Million Acre-Feet Into Water Year 2007

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, 10/03/2006 18:58

For Release: October 03, 2006

The Federal Central Valley Project (CVP) carried over approximately 8.3 million acre-feet of water into Water Year (WY) 2007, approximately 180,000 acre-feet more than last year. The Bureau of Reclamation's water year runs from October 1 to September 30. The 15-year carry-over average is 6.6 million acre-feet. Carry-over storage is the combined amount of water remaining at the end of the WY in Shasta, Trinity, Whiskeytown, Folsom, and New Melones Reservoirs, and the Federal share of the joint Federal/State San Luis Reservoir.

The total WY 2006 deliveries for the CVP are estimated at 6.9 million acre-feet. Historically, the CVP supplies about 6 million acre-feet for agriculture, cities, and the environment. Reservoir releases throughout the summer were made to meet downstream and fishery flow management objectives and project demands.

The Friant Division deliveries for WY 2006 were 1,378,000 acre-feet or 120 percent of the historic water supply of 1.15 million acre-feet. Of the 1,378,000 acre-feet delivered in WY 2006, 800,000 acre-feet was Class 1 water supply, and the remaining 578,000 acre-feet was declared as Class 2, Uncontrolled Season Class 2, and Section 215 water supply.

The Class 2, Uncontrolled Season Class 2, and Section 215 water supply equates to 41 percent of the total Class 2 water supply. The final allocation for Friant Division contractors was 100 percent of Class 1 and 10 percent of Class 2 water. The precipitation total for the San Joaquin River watershed was 65.6 inches.

As WY 2007 gets under way, Reclamation will be monitoring and evaluating hydrologic conditions for the coming flood season. All major reservoirs will meet the prescribed flood control objectives for the beginning of the 2006-2007 flood season. The first official projection of available CVP water supplies for the coming water year will be made in early 2007.

During WY 2006, CVP powerplants generated about 7.5 billion kilowatt-hours, enough power to run 750,000 homes for a year. Project-use consumed about 7 percent of this energy. The remaining energy was made available for marketing. Mid-Pacific Region generators have a combined capacity of approximately 2.1 million kilowatts.

For information on end-of-year storage or specific reservoirs, or for general information about Reclamation programs, please call the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100, TDD 916-978-5608.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.