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Central Valley Project Water Supplies Improve
Agricultural Water Service Contractors North of the Delta Allocated 15 Percent Supply, South of the Delta Contractors, 10 Percent
Media Contact:
Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, 04/21/2009 15:54
For Release: April 21, 2009
With the benefit of above-average March precipitation, Reclamation today announced an increase in allocations to Federal Central Valley Project (CVP) water service contractors. This water supply update is based on the April 1 runoff forecast from the California Department of Water Resources. Although the improved precipitation and snow pack have led to a small increase in supplies, difficult conditions remain in the region. These conditions resulted from a third consecutive dry water year, restrictions on CVP operations to protect threatened and endangered fish, and requirements to meet water right permit terms and conditions. Reclamation fully recognizes the significant economic hardship created by water supply shortages throughout the CVP service area, and continues to work with water contractors, State and Federal agencies, and others to make the most effective use of the limited water supplies available to the region.
Reclamation has prepared two forecasts: a dry forecast with a 90-percent chance of having runoff greater than forecasted (90-percent probability of exceedence) and a median forecast with a 50-percent chance of having runoff greater than forecasted (50-percent probability of exceedence). In the 90-percent exceedence runoff forecast, the unimpaired water year inflow into Shasta Reservoir is estimated at 3.9 million acre-feet. Reclamation traditionally expresses the monthly forecasts as a percentage of the contract total for each of the contract categories (see summary table). The official allocation is based on the 90-percent exceedence forecast. The 50-percent exceedence forecast is provided for informational and planning purposes.
Probability of | Sacramento Valley Index* | North of Delta | South of Delta | ||||||||||
Ag | M&I | R | WR | Ag | M&I | R | WR | ||||||
Dry Forecast (90%) | 61% / Critical | 15% | 65% | 100% | 100% | 10% | 60% | 100% | 100% | ||||
Median Forecast (50%) | 69% / Dry | 15% | 65% | 100% | 100% | 15% | 65%** | 100% | 100% | ||||
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| *The Sacramento Valley Index is a calculated estimate of the unimpaired runoff from the Sacramento River and its major tributaries and is used to determine the water year type. | |||||||||||||
| **The allocation percentage for M&I is approximate and may be adjusted to meet public health and safety needs. | |||||||||||||
| ***Level II Refuge supplies represent only about 76% of overall refuge needs. | |||||||||||||
The CVP Eastside Division (Stanislaus River) contractors will receive 18,000 acre-feet of project water.
The allocation for the Friant Division Contractors will be 90 percent Class 1 water and 0 percent Class 2 water based on the 90-percent exceedence forecast.
Reclamation is working closely with the State of California under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to facilitate water transfers through the State's Drought Water Bank and to provide technical expertise related to water management. On a day-to-day basis, Reclamation is exploring every option available under our legal authorities and California water law to help relieve drought impacts on CVP water users, to provide any available operational flexibility to convey and store water, to facilitate additional transfers and exchanges, and to expedite any related environmental review and compliance actions. Additionally, on Wednesday, April 15, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that $40 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be available for immediate emergency drought relief in the West. Reclamation anticipates that projects to boost water supplies for CVP water service contractors will be a top priority.
Reclamation continues to coordinate with the State of California, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and other Federal, State, and local organizations to fulfill its water supply obligations, which include water service contracts, senior water rights, water quality requirements, and the protection of fish and wildlife and associated habitats.
In the coming months, updates to this forecast will be announced as circumstances warrant. Information will be posted on the Region's website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp. Please contact the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 or e-mail ibr2mprpao@mp.usbr.gov for additional information.
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