SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Department of Water Resources announced Thursday the statewide water allocation was to be raised to 100% for the first since 2006.
This is, of course, an increase from last month's initial allocation of 75%. The DWR cited reservoirs nearing capacity thanks to the record snowfall seen this past winter as the driver for the lack of restrictions of water deliveries this upcoming summer.
"With reservoirs nearing capacity and snowmelt runoff starting to occur, DWR now expects to deliver 100 percent of requested water supplies, up from 75 percent announced in March. This water will be delivered throughout the year to the SWP’s 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland," said the DWR in a press release.
Reservoir levels have seen tremendous improvement this year. Statewide, the average storage to date is 105% and Shasta is at 94% of capacity.
“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,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “DWR is moving and storing as much water as possible to the benefit of communities, agriculture, and the environment.”
Allocation forecasts are a product of the latest snow survey data, reservoir levels and forecasted snow melt. Although surface water is in great shape, groundwater remains an issue, especially in the Central Valley.
"Several water supply challenges remain in the northern part of the state and in over-drafted groundwater basins that are slow to recover," said the DWR press release. "Millions of Californians rely on groundwater supplies as a sole source of water."
