SACRAMENTO, Calif —
The California Department of Water Resources announced a nominal increase in forecasted state water allocations, Wednesday.
In early December, the allocation was set at 10% of the requested water supply but the number has now been increased to 15%, or 200,000 acre feet.
California has been very wet since the calendar flipped to 2024, especially in February. Most valley locations are above average in terms of rainfall and the Sierra is inching closer to average following a slow start to the wet season.
But the updated allocation forecast does not consider the February precipitation, according to the Department of Water Resources.
“This assessment does not include the results of any of the storms that hit California earlier this month," said DWR in a news release Wednesday. “The State Water Project will review conditions and may revise the forecasted allocation in mid-March.”
The allocation increase, which is updated monthly before being finalized in May or June, provides more water to local water agencies.
Depending on how wet or dry the rest of the winter is, the allocation will be updated by the time it is finalized. The allocation projections are based on current reservoir storage and a conservative runoff forecast, according to the DWR.
Reservoir levels remain well above average and the statewide snowpack is now at 86% of average to date. On January 1, that number was only 28%.
The lowest water allocation was in Dec. 2021 when 0% was allocated, designating water use only to meet human health and safety needs.
