Bureau of Reclamation releases rinal EA/FONSI for 2010-2011 water transfer program
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 27, 2010 at 8:28 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
“The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (EA/FONSI) for the 2010-2011 Water Transfer Program.
The purpose of the proposed action is to help make possible water transfers from willing sellers upstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta under contract with Reclamation to buyers in the State who are at risk of experiencing water shortages in 2010 and 2011. Reclamation would review and approve proposed water transfers in accordance with the Interim Guidelines for the Implementation of Water Transfers under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), which can be found at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3405a/index.html.
The water would be made available for transfer through a combination of cropland idling, crop substitution, and groundwater substitution and would be available for purchase by public and private water providers in California. The EA analyzes the potential upper limit of water that may be made available by transfers in 2010 and 2011. This program is targeted at helping water contractors supplement local and imported supplies to meet critical demands due to consecutive drought years.
The Final EA/FONSI were developed to meet requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and are available online. If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please call 916-978-5100 or e-mail mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.
For questions on the Final EA/FONSI or to request a copy of the documents, please contact Mr. Brad Hubbard, Bureau of Reclamation, at 916-978-5204 (TTY 916-978-5608) or e-mail bhubbard@usbr.gov.
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
Dept of Interior hopeful on California water outlook; Forecast expected to improve – additional water supplies to be made available
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 26, 2010 at 11:27 am
From the Department of the Interior:
“WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Bureau of Reclamation’s Initial 2010 Central Valley Project (CVP) Water Supply Forecast and steps the United States government is taking to seek additional water supplies for drought-stricken farmers. Snowpack and runoff forecasts are significantly improved over the past three years and, if current weather patterns continue, California may have an “average” or better water year.
If 2010 is an average water year, allocations can be anticipated as follows:
* Senior agricultural water users along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers will be allocated 100 percent of their contract quantities (approximately 2.4 million acre feet);
* Friant Division agricultural water service contractors will be allocated 100 percent of Class 1 water;
* Eastside Division agricultural contractors (Stanislaus River) will be allocated 100 percent of their contract quantities (155,000 acre-feet);
* Agricultural water service contractors north of the Delta will be allocated 100 percent of their contract quantities;
* Agricultural water service contractors south of the Delta will be allocated 30 percent of their contract quantities;
* Municipal and industrial water service contractors north of the Delta will be allocated 100 percent, and those south of the Delta, 75 percent;
* Wildlife refuges north and south of the Delta will be allocated 100 percent of their “Level 2” water (approximately 400,000 acre feet).These potential allocations are good news for the large majority of water users served by the Central Valley Project; however, the three previous years of drought and uncertainty regarding this water year present serious water supply challenges for west valley south of Delta agricultural water service contractors. In recognition of this fact, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has directed the Department of the Interior to work with other federal and state agencies and other parties to secure additional water opportunities for farmers south of the Delta.
“Valley farmers have suffered tremendously during California’s three year drought,” said Salazar. “With the support and guidance of Senator Feinstein, Senator Boxer, Congressmen Costa and Cardoza, and a number of stakeholders, the Department has identified actions that will provide additional water on top of what an average water year would deliver.”
Under the Interior initiative, it is expected that the additional water supplies secured through the collective efforts of federal and state agencies and many stakeholders are likely to be in the range of 150,000 to 200,000 acre feet, amounts that represent approximately 8 to 10 percent of the south of Delta agricultural water service contract quantities. These amounts represent new water supplies for 2010 that were not previously available to the west side. They would add to other supplies available to west side farmers through their own efforts and planning.
To augment Interior’s initiative, the Department of Agriculture has resources for farmers and communities available. “The US Department of Agriculture is committed to using its resources to help farmers in the Central Valley,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Next week a team from USDA headquarters will go to California to work with local USDA staff from Rural Development, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency to ensure that our farm and community programs are ready to be deployed and to ensure our conservation programs will provide more water in the Valley over the long term.”
Assuming the necessary agreements and permits can be secured, the actions that are expected to provide additional supplies to the west side include: securing water from urban water suppliers in exchange arrangements; capturing and using excess restoration flows in the Mendota Pool; improved operations through more precise compliance with Old and Middle River flows by the Bureau of Reclamation and the State Water Project; additional water transfers to be made available from senior east side water users to the west side, over and above customary east to west side transfers; and authorization of additional pumping capacity at Banks Pumping Plant by the U.S. Corps of Engineers during times that are not restricted by water rights permit conditions or environmental requirements.
The measures that do not require additional agreements or permits will be implemented immediately. The Department will work with the state and other stakeholders on an on-going basis to confirm that progress is being made to secure these additional supplies.
“The Interior Department and my colleagues on the Federal Bay Delta Leadership Committee will work diligently and aggressively to provide these augmented water supplies, based on the recognition that this is a one-year, stop-gap measure to reduce the pain felt by farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley,” said Salazar. “Delivering these water supplies will require the cooperation of many parties, and we are pleased that other water users and stakeholders, with the active encouragement of Senator Feinstein, are stepping up to the plate to make it happen.”
Although current weather patterns suggest that 2010 may be an average or better water year for California, the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of California also provide an official allocation at this time of year. That allocation is based on a “dry year” forecast which assumes, essentially, that there is little or no additional precipitation over the balance of the water year. For more detailed information about the initial 2010 Central Valley Project water supply forecast, please go to http://www.usbr.gov/mp/pa/water Under this scenario, some junior agricultural interests north and south of the Delta would receive an allocation of 5 percent of their water service contracts.
The Secretary further noted that “[t]he reality is that the Bay Delta ecosystem has collapsed, and a major, long-term solution is needed to secure reliable water flows. We are looking forward to input from the National Academy of Sciences on these questions and will continue to aggressively pursue a comprehensive water supply and restoration plan, working closely with Governor Schwarzenegger and his team, Senators Feinstein and Boxer, Congressman George Miller and other members of the delegation, and all stakeholders, so that California can have a sustainable water future.” “
On the Water Front blog: Central Valley Project contracts make no allocation promises
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 26, 2010 at 7:47 amFrom Mark Hitchcock at the Environmental Defense Fund’s On the Water Front blog:
“As a first-year attorney, my understanding of the intricacies of California water law is limited. Still, I am always bothered by the fact that the battles over Central Valley Project (“CVP”) exports regularly allude to the idea that water users have seen their contractual rights to Bay-Delta water decreased by environmental protection laws. In her recent op-ed proposing an Endangered Species Act rider, Senator Feinstein wrote about the percentage of a “contractual allocation” available to Central Valley users. The New York Times referenced percentages of “normal allocations,” and the Fresno Bee used that same term. Even the rebuttal letter questioning the wisdom of Senator Feinstein’s proposed rider sent by Representative George Miller and ten other members of Congress referred to water users receiving percentages of their “contract supply.”
In fact, there is no contractual right to any set or “normal” amount of CVP water. Exporters do not receive varying percentages of a set amount of water that they have continuing contractual rights to; it is the amount of water that they are contractually entitled to that varies from year to year. … “
Read more from the On the Water Front blog by clicking here.
Groups write U.S. BOR to request full EIR of renewed water delivery contracts
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 9, 2010 at 8:31 amFrom Lloyd Carter’s Chronicles of the Hydraulic Brotherhood blog:
“The Sierra Club, Friends of the River and the Planning and Conservation League have written the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to request a full environmental impact report on a Bureau proposal to renew water delivery contracts for high selenium lands in the Western San Joaquin Valley. To read more, click here.“
Battle expected over water pipeline: Intertie would link two major canals by 2011
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 23, 2010 at 8:31 am
From the Fresno Bee:
“Work is finally supposed to start this spring on pipelines connecting California’s two most important canals, allowing a little more water to be pumped for west San Joaquin Valley farms.
But the project, conceived more than two decades ago, is a prime target for an environmental lawsuit and delay — again.
The connection would be called the California Aqueduct and Delta-Mendota Canal Intertie, and it would be ready to use in late 2011, if it isn’t held up by a lawsuit.
Officials would use two 500-foot pipelines west of Tracy to send extra water to the massive California Aqueduct from the smaller and sometimes inadequate Delta-Mendota Canal — water that otherwise might end up in the ocean. That would allow more irrigation water to be stored at San Luis Reservoir — a piece of good news for farmers who have suffered severe cutbacks. … “
But don’t expect it to go smoothly:
” … pumping any more water — even a small amount — from the broken delta is too much, say environmentalists and fishing groups. They say the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s environmental studies for the project ignored many issues, including the dying fish populations and poor water quality in the delta.
They expect to sue in hopes of stopping the intertie. Their lawsuit in 2006 forced an extensive environmental study, which environmentalists and fishing groups say still does not satisfy the law.
“The environmental work is grossly deficient,” said Bill Jennings, executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance in Stockton. “You can’t continue pumping more and more water here.” … “
Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Here’s the Bay-Delta blog’s in-depth look at the intertie project posted earlier this month.
Intertie gets federal green light; Construction on project expected to start by May, 2011
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 8, 2010 at 8:39 amFrom the Capital Press:
“With a final regulatory hurdle cleared, water managers expect to get California’s Intertie project under construction by May, but it will cost nearly 30 percent more than originally estimated.
A federal fast-tracking has kept the Delta-Mendota Canal-California Aqueduct Intertie project on schedule. That means it could be completed by fall 2011.
“These things typically take a longer time frame, but we’re focusing a lot of attention and resources on it,” said Gwen Knittweis, a supervising engineer with the state Department of Water Resources. “I have a lot of papers on my desk pertaining to this one.” … “
Read more from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Bay Delta blog: Record of Decision for the Delta-Mendota Canal / California Aqueduct Intertie
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 4, 2010 at 8:19 am
From the Bay Delta blog:
“Last week, in the final days of 2009, it was announced that the long-planned Delta Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie project finally got its Record of Decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior. The federal government, in its Interim Action Plan for the Bay-Delta (PDF), released on December 22, 2009, also listed the Intertie as a priority project to expedite, aiming to have construction start by June 2010 and completed by October 2011.
The $34 million proposed Intertie, which will be located in Alameda County generally west of Tracy, would connect the Delta-Mendota Canal, a federal facility, to the California Aqueduct, a state facility. The proposed project takes the form of a pipeline connection from milepost 7.2 of the Delta-Mendota to milepost 9 of the Aqueduct, where the state and federal projects are only about 500 feet apart. … “
Continue reading this post at the Bay Delta blog by clicking here.
Delta Intertie gets environmental approval
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 30, 2009 at 6:25 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard:
“A plan to connect state and federal canals to improve the reliability of water deliveries across the San Joaquin Valley and beyond has received environmental approval.
The $34 million Intertie Project would connect the Delta Mendota Canal and the California Aqueduct using a 500-foot underground pipe and pumps. … “
Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard by clicking here.
Lawsuit takes aim at pre-dam water rights
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 3, 2009 at 8:19 amFrom the Chico Enterprise-Record:
“Environmental groups filed a legal challenge to water rights of some of Northern California’s oldest agricultural water users, stating that contracts for use of Sacramento River water for the next 40 years violate the Endangered Species Act.
The suit goes to the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and seeks to revisit 40-year water contracts approved in 2005 between the federal Bureau of Reclamation and water districts including Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District in Willows, Princeton-Codora-Glenn Irrigation District, Provident Irrigation District, Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District, city of Redding, M&T Chico Ranch, and others.
Also named in the suit are 25-year contracts with water districts in the San Joaquin Valley, which get water from the delta.
The water agencies are known as “settlement contractors,” who had water rights before the Central Valley Project was completed, with some water rights dating back to the 1880s. … “
Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record by clicking here.
Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Groups challenge Central Valley water contracts, Claim flawed water management plans shortchange wildlife, Delta
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 1, 2009 at 7:56 am
From the Central Valley Business Journal:
“Conservation groups have appealed a decision to keep long-term water delivery contracts in California’s Central Valley that they say would result in years of damage to devastated salmon and other native fisheries, and fail to protect and restore California’s largest estuary, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay.
The appeal was filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by conservation groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the San Francisco Baykeeper, represented in court by Earthjustice and NRDC.
The groups charge that the contracts, based on a 2005 Biological Opinion on the delta smelt that has been thrown out by a federal court, violate the Endangered Species Act and must be renegotiated to reflect current science.
“These water contracts must be revised to reflect a reasonable level of water diversions, require sensible conservation measures, and protect the collapsing Delta if we are going to fix California’s broken water system and restore healthy fish populations,” says Kate Poole, lead attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. … “
Read more from the Central Valley Business Journal by clicking here.
Final EIS for the Delta-Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie Project now available
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 23, 2009 at 7:55 amFrom the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation:
“The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Delta-Mendota Canal (DMC)/California Aqueduct (CA) Intertie (Intertie). The Intertie is designed to connect the DMC and the CA via a new pipeline and pumping plant to help improve DMC conveyance limitations, allow for maintenance and repair activities, and provide the flexibility to respond to Central Valley Project and State Water Project emergency water operations. This is a CALFED project which was identified in the August 2000 CALFED Bay-Delta Program Programmatic Record of Decision (ROD).
Reclamation, as the lead Federal agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), has prepared the Final EIS in accordance with NEPA. Reclamation will not make a decision on the Proposed Action until at least 30 days after release of the Final EIS. After the 30-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a ROD, stating the action that will be implemented and discussing all factors leading to that decision.
The Final EIS is available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=1014. If you encounter problems accessing the document online, please contact Public Affairs at mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov or call 916-978-5100. The Final EIS includes responses to all comments received during the comment period on the Draft EIS which ended on August 31, 2009.
The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a 30-year Program (2000-2030) amongst 25 Federal and State agencies with responsibility in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. The Program is based on four major resource management objectives that guide its actions to achieving a Delta that has a healthy ecosystem and can supply Californians with a reliable water supply. Those objectives are levee system integrity, water quality, water supply reliability, and ecosystem restoration. Reclamation plays a key role as the Federal lead agency for implementation of water supply reliability actions in coordination with our State CALFED partner agencies.
Copies of the Final EIS may be requested from Mr. Louis Moore, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento CA 95825 or by calling 916-978-5106 (TDD 916-978-5608) or by e-mailing wmoore@usbr.gov.
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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
Afternoon update: Central Valley Project begins Water Year 2010 with 4.4 million acre-feet of storage (39% of capacity)
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2009 at 1:43 pmFrom the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation:
“The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project (CVP) begins Water Year (WY) 2010 (October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010) with approximately 4.4 million acre-feet of water (39 percent of capacity) in five key CVP reservoirs. The total reservoir storage is the combined amount of water remaining at the end of WY 2009 in Shasta, Trinity, Folsom, and New Melones Reservoirs and the Federal share of the joint Federal/State San Luis Reservoir. The 15-year average carry-over for these reservoirs is 6.7 million acre-feet of storage (59 percent of capacity). An acre-foot is the volume of water sufficient to cover an acre of land to a depth of 1 foot, enough water to sustain a household of four for 1 year.
Precipitation in WY 2009 was about 94 percent of average or 47 inches according to the State of California’s Northern Sierra Nevada 8 Station Index. The seasonal average for precipitation is 50 inches. While WY 2009 approached average precipitation levels for northern California, runoff remained low at about 70 percent of normal due to the 3 years of dry conditions (based on the Sacramento River Index). In the CVP, runoff is a better indicator for water supply availability than precipitation.
During the past 5 years, the CVP delivered an average of about 6 million acre-feet of water annually for agriculture, cities, and the environment. The 2009 CVP contract year deliveries are generally based on the period March 1 through February 28 each year and are estimated to be 5.3 million acre-feet.
During WY 2009, CVP powerplants generated about 3.6 billion kilowatt-hours, enough power to run 360,000 homes for a year. Project-use consumed about 33 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.
The Friant Division estimated deliveries for the 2009 contract year are 1.19 million acre-feet, which is 103 percent of the historic water supply of 1.15 million acre-feet. This total includes 800,000 acre-feet of Class 1 and 392,000 acre-feet of Class 2 water. The final allocation for Friant Division contractors is 100 percent of Class 1 and 28 percent of Class 2 water. The precipitation total for the San Joaquin River watershed was 34.69 inches or 78 percent of average and the runoff for the San Joaquin River was 1.46 million acre-feet (79 percent of normal).
As WY 2010 gets under way, Reclamation will be closely monitoring and evaluating hydrologic conditions as they develop. The initial forecast of CVP water supply allocations for 2010 will be made in late February 2010. The allocation will be adjusted monthly thereafter to reflect the updated snowpack and runoff information.
For information on end-of-year storage for specific reservoirs or for general information about Reclamation programs, please call Mr. Pete Lucero in the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100, TDD 916-978-5608 or e-mail at plucero@usbr.gov.
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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at www.usbr.gov.
Friends of the River protests CVP’s “paper” water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2009 at 8:28 amFrom Friends of the River:
“Friends of the River has filed a protest with the State Water Resources Control Board against the Bureau of Reclamation’s filing to extend its water rights permit for the giant Central Valley Project (CVP). On June, the Bureau filed a petition with the State Water Board for a time extension on CVP permits for approximately 96 million acre feet of water. The current “paper” permits exceed the amount of water available in California’s hydrologic system. The Water Board estimates that the state has granted rights to eight times more water than California normally receives in a year.
The Bureau would like until 2030 to find a way to put this “paper” water to use, although the agency claims that it is not possible to predict what the beneficial use for the water will be between now and 2030 and it is not possible to determine what the ultimate water diversions will be in 2030. In addition, they cannot provide any recommendations for licensing the water for the CVP they are currently using under a permit. … “
Read more from Friends of the River by clicking here.
Read the protest filed by Friends of the River by clicking here (pdf file).
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals holds Bureau of Reclamation liable for water shortage deliveries from the New Melones unit of the Central Valley Project
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 22, 2009 at 9:49 amFrom Brian D. Poulsen of Somach, Simmons & Dunn:
“On September 30, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Circuit Court”) issued a landmark decision in Stockton East Water District v. United States, No. 2007-5142, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 21466 (Fed. Cir. Sep. 30, 2009). The Circuit Court held that the United States Bureau of Reclamation (“Bureau”) breached its contracts with two water suppliers, Stockton East Water District and Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District (collectively “the Districts”) for delivery of water from the New Melones Unit of the Central Valley Project (“CVP”) for the years 1999-2004. The Circuit Court also left open the possibility that the Bureau committed an unlawful “taking” of private property without just compensation in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution for its failure to deliver contracted water amounts for the years 1994-1995. Besides the potential for requiring the government to pay a large sum in damages, this decision may serve as important precedent for other CVP contractors and for water suppliers generally. …”
For more background and analysis of this case from Brian D. Poulsen of Somach Simmons & Dunn, click here.
Bureau of Reclamation pushes pipeline project; Pipeline would add capacity, flexibility to state projects
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 24, 2009 at 8:22 amFrom the Capital Press:
“A proposed pipeline designed to facilitate water movement between the state and federal projects above the San Luis Reservoir cleared a hurdle last week when the Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental document for the plan.
It marks a major step in the long process of bringing the project to fruition. Dan Nelson, director of the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, said the authority now anticipates starting construction next spring. “It’s been a long process to put the environmental documents together,” Nelson said. “Especially in these times when we need all the operational flexibility we can muster.”
The pipeline would connect the Delta-Mendota Canal with the California Aqueduct near San Luis Reservoir, thus allowing the state and federal water projects to use one another’s infrastructure above the San Luis Reservoir. It would be used largely during winter to help fill the reservoir early.”
Read more from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Congressman McCarthy supports legislation to protect Central Valley Project
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 12, 2009 at 8:39 amFrom Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s website:
Congressman McCarthy joined several of his neighboring California colleagues in cosponsoring legislation (H.R. 3105) that allows for the continued operation of the Central Valley Project, which would help get more water back into our communities regardless of biological opinions issued under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. McCarthy issued the following statement:
“Water is the lifeblood to many local jobs in our communities, and this bill is absolutely necessary to get the water flowing to help reverse the jobs losses in our communities and grow the food to feed our nation. We need to keep the pumps in the Delta on, and this legislation is a common-sense solution that will keep the water flowing to our homes and local businesses.”
U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation describes the Central Valley Project as reaching “from the Cascade Mountains near Redding in the north some 500 miles to the Tehachapi Mountains near Bakersfield in the south. Is comprised of 20 dams and reservoirs, 11 power plants, and 500 miles of major canals…Annually delivers about 7 million acre-feet for agriculture, urban, and wildlife use. Provides about 5 million acre-feet for farms — enough to irrigate about 3 million acres or approximately one-third of the agricultural land in California.” (click here for more information)
Congressman McCarthy has also cosponsored the following bills to help alleviate the man-made water crisis in the San Joaquin Valley:
* H.R. 856, which would increase water deliveries to the Central Valley and Southern California urban and agriculture users by waiving regulations regarding the Delta Smelt at Delta pumps during times of drought.
* H.R. 996, which would increase water deliveries by temporarily exempting the operations of any water supply or flood control project from ESA when the Governor declares an emergency.
CSPA asks State Water Resources Control Board to reconsider state and federal water project consolidation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 19, 2009 at 7:19 amFrom Bill Jennings of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance over at IndyBay.org:
Today, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) jointly filed a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) with the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) over their recent decision allowing the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) to consolidate their respective places of use.
For the first time CVP water can be delivered to SWP service areas and SWP water can be shipped to CVP places of use; placing addition stress on an already over-promised and broken water delivery system. The decision has grave implications for already degraded water quality and fisheries in the Central Valley.
The CSPA/C-WIN Petition alleges that the State Board decision was an error in law, not supported by substantial evidence and that subsequent new information exists that undermine the need for the consolidation. The Petition asks the State Board to reconsider their decision and reopen the hearing to reconsider the appropriateness of the consolidation of the SWP and CVP places of use.
Read more from IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Late season rain and snow boosts allocations; Delta pump rules limit deliveries to the south
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 29, 2009 at 8:06 amFrom the Capital Press:
Late rain and mountain snow have prompted state and federal water officials to dramatically increase allocations to some California farmers. The prospect of receiving 40 percent of normal deliveries this summer provides a lifeline to some who are barely struggling to keep their trees alive or pastures productive.
But for others, it comes as they’ve already paid for an expensive water transfer that they now may not need, said Bill Krueger, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor and olive expert in Glenn County. “It just depends on what sort of other arrangements people have made,” Krueger said. “I farm a little bit … and I was counting on 15 percent, so I’ve gone ahead and bought some more expensive water. Now we’re going to try to reduce that.”
The season’s final snowpack assessment early this month led to final scheduled allocation announcements last week by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the state Department of Water Resources.
Find out more from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Bureau of Reclamation announces May update to Central Valley Project water supply allocations
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 22, 2009 at 2:45 pmFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
The Bureau of Reclamation today announced increases in allocations for certain Federal Central Valley Project (CVP) water service contractors and the potential for increases for water service contractors south of the Delta. This water supply update is based on the latest runoff forecast from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The final snow survey of the 2008-2009 season on April 30, 2009, indicated that the snowpack water content was 66 percent of normal Statewide. Federal CVP reservoirs currently average 62 percent of capacity, with Folsom Reservoir at 96 percent, Shasta Reservoir at 70 percent, and the Federal share of San Luis Reservoir at only 29 percent; however, above-normal precipitation in early May has resulted in a small increase in available water supplies.
Despite these increases for some contractors, difficult conditions remain in California’s Central Valley as a result of a third consecutive dry year, continued restrictions on CVP operations to protect threatened and endangered fish species, and requirements to meet water right permit terms and conditions. Reclamation is concerned about the significant economic hardship created by water supply shortages throughout the CVP service area, particularly for water service contractors south of the Delta, and continues to work with water contractors, State and Federal agencies, and others to make the most effective use of the limited water supplies.
This month, Reclamation prepared a single forecast based on a 90-percent chance of having runoff equal to or greater than forecasted (90-percent probability of exceedence). Reclamation traditionally expresses the monthly forecast as a percentage of the contract total for each of the contract categories (see summary table). The allocation to water service contractors south of the Delta remains officially at 10 percent; however, improved hydrologic conditions create a possible 5 to 10 percent supply increase if additional pumping capacity can be made available through the summer. Reclamation is working closely with DWR to coordinate operations to help convey CVP supplies. Recognizing the critical conditions for many growers south of the Delta, Reclamation will announce any increase to allocations as soon as these supplies are secure.
Probability of
Exceedence
Forecasts
Sacramento Valley Index (Percent of Average/Water Year Classification)
North of Delta
Allocation
South of Delta
Allocation
Ag
M&I
R
WR
Ag
M&I
R
WR
90% Forecast
61% / Dry
40%
75% to 100%
100%
100%
10%
60%
100%
100%
Ag=Agriculture M&I=Municipal & Industrial (supply based on historical deliveries) R=Level 2 Refuge Supplies WR=Water Rights
In the 90-percent exceedence runoff forecast, the unimpaired water year inflow into Shasta Reservoir is estimated at 4.05 million acre-feet. 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, which is considered dry.
Given the projected American River runoff and Folsom Reservoir storage, the American River Division M&I contractors are allowed delivery up to their full contract quantity (100 percent) within the terms of their individual contracts. North of the Delta M&I contractors who receive their supply from the Sacramento River will receive 75 percent of historic deliveries. The allocation shown in the table for M&I contractors south of the Delta may be adjusted to meet heath and safety needs.
The 100-percent allocation shown in the table for Refuges applies to Level 2 supplies only and makes up about three-fourths of the Refuge’s annual needs.
The allocation for CVP Eastside Division (Stanislaus River) contractors is unchanged at 18,000 acre-feet.
The Friant Division deliveries for Water Year 2009 are projected to be about 1,050,000 acre-feet, which is 84 percent of the Recent 5-Year Average Allocation of 1,250,000 acre-feet. The allocation for the Friant Division Contractors is based on DWR’s 50-percent probability of exceedence forecast dated May 12, 2009. If the San Joaquin River natural runoff develops as expected, the Friant Division will receive 100-percent Class 1 water (firm supply of 800,000 acre-feet) and 18-percent Uncontrolled Class 2 water (less-firm supply estimated to be 250,000 acre-feet).
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. 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.
In the coming months, updates to this forecast will be announced as circumstances warrant. Information is 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.
CSPA slams governor for water project consolidation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 20, 2009 at 1:37 pmFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:
Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, on Tuesday castigated the State Water Resources Control Board for its draft ruling allowing the consolidation of the federal Central Valley Water Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) place of use permits.
He said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s drought proclamation is based on “bogus claims.” Had the Board allowed the proclamation to be introduced as evidence, “we would have rebutted its bogus claims lie by lie,” said Jennings.
As Jennings was testifying in defense of the Delta and California’s imperiled fish population, Schwarzenegger was in Washington, D.C. playing the role of the “Green Governor.”
“Following California’s lead in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Obama administration today announced an agreement between the federal government, automakers, and the 14 states led by California in their fight to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles,” according to a statement from the Governor’s Office. “The agreement will lead to a new national standard that by 2016 will match California’s in reducing the CO2 emissions from new vehicles by 30 percent.”
However, when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally leaves office, he will leave as his legacy collapsing fisheries and environmental devastation unprecedented in California and U.S. history. While the mainstream media and corporate-funded “environmental” groups praise him for his grandstanding on “green energy,” he has presided over the destruction of Central Valley Chinook salmon, longfin smelt, green sturgeon, striped bass and other fish populations. “Environmentalism,” Schwarzenegger-style, is nothing other than a particularly toxic and destructive form of corporate greenwashing!
Read more of this commentary by clicking here.
An unnatural disaster? PCL questions exemption of environmental review for major water merger
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 17, 2009 at 8:07 amFrom the California Progress Report, this from Traci Sheehan of the Planning & Conservation League:
Last month the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) submitted a Notice of Exemption to bypass environmental review of their proposal to merge California’s two largest water projects, citing “emergency conditions.”
If approved by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the exemption would allow the merger of the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, fast-tracking the transfer of millions of gallons of water from Northern California farmers to Westside San Joaquin Valley agriculture. The exemption would also allow DWR to avoid commitments to protect Northern California and Bay Delta resources by minimizing requirements to mitigate impacts of these transfers.
This week the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) formally questioned DWR’s authority to act under emergency privileges and asked the SWRCB to consider the facts in the record before approving DWR’s proposal.
Read more from the California Progress Report by clicking here.
Secretary Salazar clears way to expand water supplies in the California Drought Water Bank
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 22, 2009 at 12:10 pmFrom the Department of the Interior, this press release:
WASHINGTON, D.C–Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the federal government has cleared the transfer of water among various sources through California’s Drought Water Bank, a vital tool to relieve drought conditions in the state.
“The drought situation in California threatens community water supplies, farms and ranches,” said Secretary Salazar. “The Drought Water Bank and the economic stimulus funds I announced here in California last week represent vital parts of the Obama Administration’s effort to help the people of the Central Valley and other areas in California.”
The drought, now in its third year, has forced reduction of deliveries for urban and agricultural uses. Through the Drought Water Bank, Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is working with the California Department of Water Resources to minimize hardships from the water shortages and enable California water providers to supplement their supplies with water transfers from willing sellers.
The Bureau of Reclamation today cleared the only remaining federal hurdle for the 2009 Drought Water Bank by releasing an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. This action enables the state to purchase water from willing sellers upstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and to approve the transfer of the water to willing buyers using State Water Project facilities or Central Valley Project facilities.
Under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act, Secretary Salazar determined that the emergency drought assistance is merited under federal law and has approved the Governor’s request for assistance. Reclamation will participate in the Drought Water Bank, which will allow the two water projects to effectively move water from willing sellers to buyers. Reclamation will review and approve, as appropriate, proposed transfers from Central Valley Project contractors in accordance with the Interim Guidelines for the Implementation of Water Transfers under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) (http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3405a/index.html).
The water will be made available for transfer through a combination of crop idling, crop substitution, groundwater substitution and reservoir reoperation and will be available for purchase by public and private water providers in California based on certain needs criteria developed by the state (http://www.water.ca.gov/drought/).
The environmental assessment released today analyzed the potential upper limit of water that may be made available through the bank in 2009; however, actual transfers will depend on hydrology, interested buyers, the amounts that sellers are willing to transfer, and compliance with legal transfer requirements, as applicable. The environmental assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinion as an appendix, were developed to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. The Drought Water Bank will be in compliance with State and local regulations concerning ground water pumping.
The Biological Opinion notes that the water transfers are not likely to adversely affect the ESA-listed delta smelt and San Joaquin kit fox, and calls for Reclamation to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service on recovery efforts for the giant garter snake, for which critical habitat has not yet been designated.
The documents are available for review at www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=3591
Feds to release minimal water supplies to farms
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 22, 2009 at 8:32 amFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
Farmers in California’s drought-stricken agricultural basin finally will get a meager supply of federal water to nurture their crops this summer.
Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said Tuesday that heavy storms in March allowed them to boost the amount of water sent to customers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the critical region where most of the nation’s fruits and vegetables are grown.
Water districts that supply some of the nation’s largest farms in that area will receive 10 percent of the amount they are entitled to under government contracts.
Three years of drought already have forced farmers to let thousands of acres of cropland turn to dust. Hundreds of farmworkers have lost their jobs. Still, many farmers said some irrigation supplies were better than nothing.
“Every drop of water counts,” said Tom Birmingham, general manager of the Westlands Water District, whose members are major employers in Fresno and Kings county. “Farmers who otherwise would use groundwater to irrigate orchards or vineyards will now be able to reduce pumping of groundwater.”
Read more from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here. Press release from the Bureau of Reclamation follows this post.
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
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 22, 2009 at 8:30 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
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
Exceedence
Forecasts
Sacramento Valley Index* (Percent of Average/Water Year Classification)
North of Delta
Allocation
South of Delta
Allocation
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%
Ag = Agriculture M&I = Municipal & Industrial (supply based on historical deliveries)
R = Level II Refuge Supplies WR = Water Rights
*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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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 western states. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
Wet March may improve Central Valley water allocations
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 21, 2009 at 9:00 amFrom Redding’s Record Searchlight:
The biggest rush of water into Lake Shasta in almost three years could lead to increased water allocations for north state agriculture. “We are anticipating an upward bump,” said Brian Person, manager of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Northern California Office at Shasta Dam.
Early this week, bureau officials plan to release updated allocations for the Central Valley Project – which runs 500 miles from Lake Shasta to Bakersfield – based on weather, lake inflow and other factors in March.
Snowfall in February and rain in March gave the lake its biggest boost in years. More than 1 million acre-feet, or enough water to flood a million acres a foot deep, flowed into Lake Shasta in March, according to state Department of Water Resources data. It’s the biggest influx into the 4.5 million acre-foot capacity reservoir since April 2006.
Read more from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
Independent panel completes review of CVPIA fisheries activities
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 21, 2009 at 8:49 amFrom the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation:
The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the release of the Final Report of the Central Valley Project Improvement ¬Act (CVPIA) Fisheries Independent Review. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed Reclamation to complete an Independent Review as one of several Improvement Actions designed to improve the CVPIA program effectiveness.
An independent panel composed of subject matter experts convened in May 2008 and met throughout the summer and fall to assess CVPIA program activities related to fish such as salmon that return from the sea to the rivers where they were born in order to breed (anadromous). The panel’s Final Report contains recommendations regarding how to prioritize actions, and improve efficiency and effectiveness to achieve the CVPIA anadromous fish restoration goals, which include fish doubling.
In 2006, OMB initiated a review of the CVPIA program using its Performance Assessment and Rating Tool (PART) process. As a separate outcome of the PART process, Reclamation and the Service are developing a Long-term Plan for the CVPIA Program implementation. The Plan will include priorities and actions for the next 10 years. The agencies are assessing the panel’s recommendations for inclusion in the Long-term Plan as possible priority actions for future implementation. A Draft Long-term Plan is expected to be made available for public review in late 2009.
In addition to the Fisheries Review, an independent review of CVPIA refuges program activities will be completed in 2009.
The Fisheries Independent Review Final Report is available online at http://www.cvpiaindependentreview.com. To request a hard copy of the report, please contact Shay Humphrey, CirclePoint Communications, at 916-658-0180.
For additional information on the CVPIA Fisheries Independent Review, please contact Ms. Shana Kaplan, Reclamation, at 916-978-5190 or skaplan@mp.usbr.gov, or Mr. Cesar Blanco, Service, at 916-978-6150 or cesar_blanco@fws.gov.
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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
Draft EA/FONSI available for the transfer of Central Valley Project water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 21, 2009 at 8:47 amFrom the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation:
The Bureau of Reclamation has released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to approve the transfer of 15,000 acre-feet of Central Valley Project (CVP) Water from Central California Irrigation District, a San Joaquin River Exchange Contractor, to Del Puerto Water District; Panoche Water District; San Luis Water District; and Westlands Water District (Districts). This proposed transfer is intended to allow water delivery in an expeditious manner to assist in offsetting the effects of the 2009 CVP water shortages by increasing the volume of water available to the Districts.
CCID is delivering the water from this transfer to landowners who own property both in CCID and the Districts, therefore supplying water to their own multi-water district landowners. This CVP water is needed immediately by the Districts to meet in-district irrigation demands.
The Draft EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and are available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=3652. If you encounter problems accessing the documents online, please call 916-978-5100 or e-mail ibr2mprpao@mp.usbr.gov.
Please send written comments to Ms. Judi Tapia, Bureau of Reclamation, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721, by Thursday, April 30, 2009. Comments may also be faxed to Ms. Tapia at 559-487-5397, or e-mailed to jtapia@mp.usbr.gov. For additional information or to request a copy of the Draft EA and FONSI, please contact Ms. Tapia at 559-487-5138, TDD 559-487-5933. Copies of the draft documents may also be viewed at Reclamation’s Fresno office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721.
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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
Central California Irrigation District water allocation increased
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 20, 2009 at 6:14 amFrom Westside Connect:
Growers in the Central California Irrigation District learned recently that they will have a full allocation of water this year, while their neighbors in federal water districts are still waiting to learn if they have any water on the way to help nurture their crops.
The Central California Irrigation District had been warned to prepare for a “critical” water year, in which case it would have received 75 percent of its normal allocation – the minimum guaranteed under the district’s favorable exchange contract with the federal government. General Manager Chris White confirmed recently that the allocation has been upgraded to 100 percent, and said he does not expect growers to encounter the limitations on peak-month water deliveries which they faced last summer.
White said the latest projections are that Shasta Reservoir will have an inflow of 3.9 million acre-feet of water. The CCID receives a 100 percent allocation in years when the inflow at Shasta is 3.2 million acre-feet or more. Typically, water from Northern California is delivered through the delta for storage in San Luis Reservoir and use through the summer. Pumping restrictions in the delta due to environmental regulations have, however, constricted the supply in what is an ongoing challenge.
“There is water in the system, especially in the northern part, but there is also a man-made set of regulations which restrict the delivery of water to San Luis for local use,” White said.
Read more from Westside Connect by clicking here.
Bureau of Reclamation issues update on CVP water supply maximizing resources to relieve effects of the drought in California’s Central Valley
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 3, 2009 at 9:20 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
The Bureau of Reclamation announces that water allocations to senior water rights holders and wildlife refuges north and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) have increased from 75 to 100 percent. The increases result from additional precipitation, improved snowpack, and improved runoff into Shasta Reservoir since the March snow surveys by the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR). Further, due to improved inflow to Millerton Lake, the Friant Division Class I allocation has increased from 65 to 85 percent. Reclamation is working closely with Central Valley Project (CVP) Municipal and Industrial (M&I) contractors both north and south of the Delta to determine if, to meet public health and safety needs, adjustments are needed to their allocations.
The increased allocations pave the way for several actions. With additional supply in the CVP system, more water may be available through the joint DWR/Reclamation Drought Water Bank, helping to meet critical water needs Statewide. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to postpone the summer delivery of a large portion of its San Joaquin valley water to Federal wildlife refuges until later in the year, freeing the water for other uses.
After 3 consecutive years of dry and critically dry conditions, the allocation for CVP agricultural water service contractors south of the Delta remains at zero percent and the allocation for M&I water contractors south of the Delta remains at 50 percent. The allocation to agricultural water service contractors north of the Delta is 5 percent, and the allocation to M&I contractors north of the Delta is 55 percent. These allocations are based on DWR’s March snow survey and also reflect the effects of various actions taken to address endangered species and water quality related issues. Reclamation is working diligently to improve available supplies and minimize hardships resulting from the water shortages.
One of the most impacted areas in California is the Central Valley, where thousands of acres are being fallowed and the unemployment rate has soared. In February 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a Proclamation declaring a State of Emergency as a result of the ongoing drought and directing immediate action to address the water supply situation. The Governor requested assistance from the Secretary of the Interior under the Reclamation Drought Relief Act, and Secretary Ken Salazar will soon announce his concurrence.
“ I recently met with many of our affected water users to identify ways to minimize the adverse effects of this unprecedented allocation, and I saw firsthand its effects on unemployed workers,” stated Donald Glaser, Regional Director for the Mid-Pacific Region.”We are scheduling a series of meetings in these severely affected areas to explore every option to develop near-term and mid-term strategies to maximize the use of the entire CVP water supply and to determine how best to use existing authorities to address the most critical needs.”
At the beginning of April 2009, DWR will conduct their fourth snow survey of the winter season. With the additional precipitation experienced since the March snow survey and with improved runoff into CVP reservoirs, Reclamation anticipates announcing an updated water supply allocation in mid-to-late April 2009. Reclamation will continue to seek opportunities to collaborate with our affected CVP contractors, local officials, State and Federal agencies, and others to minimize the impacts of this water supply emergency on the citizens of California.
Reclamation revises its estimate for water allocations: good news for some, not necessarily for others
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 21, 2009 at 7:26 amFrom the Capital Press:
California farmers and ranchers will get some federal water after all – if they’re north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued its updated allocation forecast on Friday, March 20, predicting that 5 percent to 15 percent of normal water deliveries would be available for agriculture north of the delta.
In the San Joaquin Valley, a zero-water scenario is still possible unless runoff levels reach 61 percent of average, at which point all Central Valley Project contractors would get 15 percent of what they would normally expect for agriculture.
North of the delta, urban areas would get 55 percent of their water under the dry forecast or 65 percent if the median runoff amount is reached – an achievement that the Bureau predicts has a 50 percent chance of coming true. South of the delta, residential areas would received 50 percent to 65 percent of their water.
Wildlife reserves and water rights holders everywhere would receive between 75 percent and 100 percent of their normal allocations, depending on the amount of runoff that accumulates this spring.
Pete Lucero, the bureau’s spokesman in Sacramento, said the allocations could improve again when the agency issues its next updated allocation forecast on or about April 20. “This one just takes into account the March 1 snow surveys and runoff data. It doesn’t take into account this month so far,” Lucero said. “We had pretty significant rainfall early in the month and that data wasn’t used.”
From Redding’s Record Searchlight, water rights holders (those with water rights predating the water projects; they are first in line) are optimistic:
Because of the stormy weather in February and March, water rights growers and ranchers are optimistic they’ll receive 100 percent of the normal water supply, said Ivar Amen, who irrigates 100 acres near Cottonwood. “It makes a lot of difference,” he said.
The bureau’s low expectations for allocations in February came after a dry December and January left a low water supply in Lake Shasta, the primary reservoir of the CVP.
At the start of February, the lake held 31 percent of its 4.5 million acre-foot capacity, said Brian Person, manager of the bureau’s Northern California Area Office. An acre-foot is enough water to flood about a football field a foot deep. Over the month the lake rose about 35 feet, increasing to 44 percent of capacity. “There was a 24-hour period in February where the lake rose about six feet,” Person said.
He said the lake, which typically receives 90 percent of its supply from rainfall, has continued to rise this month. As of Friday, it was up to almost 60 percent full. That weather will be taken into account when the bureau announces revised allocations in April, he said.
From the Fresno Bee, not much good news for Westlands growers:
But the third year of drought still is hitting hard in Westlands Water District and for other similar west-side farm customers. They were told Friday they could not expect any federal water this summer. It would be the first zero allocation ever for these west-siders on the Central Valley Project.
“We thought they might come up with a little extra,” said west-side farmer Dan Errotabere, who is fallowing 1,500 of 3,600 acres because of the shortage. “But at this point, we are trying to manage any way possible to make it through this year.”
Water forecasts still could be increased in April or May, but farmers already have made plans for their crops and may not be able to use the extra water this year.
Drought has forced cutbacks in most of the state, but Westlands and other west-siders face an additional hurdle because they get river water through canals from Northern California. There have been severe water pumping cutbacks to protect dwindling fish.
“Since February, we’ve probably lost 200,000 acre-feet of water,” said Westlands spokeswoman Sarah Woolf.
Good news for Friant growers, from the Visalia Times Delta:
There was some good news Friday for water users on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley when federal officials updated their allocation plans for water from the Central Valley Project’s Friant Division.
The Bureau of Reclamation boosted the allocation for Friant’s highest priority users to 65 percent of their contracted amount, up from the 25 percent set in February.
But the remaining Friant users saw no change from their zero allocation of February.
Still, the Bureau of Reclamation update reduces the chance that Friant users for the first time would have to share their water with contractors outside their division on the west side of the San Joaquin River, one local official said. “Chances of that [sharing] are pretty slim,” said Ron Jacobsma, general manager of the Friant Water Users Authority. He added that “this is a relatively better situation we are looking at right now than we were last month.”
Bureau of Reclamation updates 2009 Central Valley Project water supply allocation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 20, 2009 at 3:58 pmFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced the March update to Water Year 2009 allocations for the Federal Central Valley Project. This water supply update is based on the March 1 runoff forecast from the California Department of Water Resources.
Reclamation prepared two forecasts: a conservative 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 about 3.18 million acre-feet. Shasta Reservoir unimpaired inflow is the criteria used to determine shortages to water right settlement contractors, including the Exchange Contractors, and refuges.
Reclamation traditionally expresses the monthly forecast as a percentage (see summary table) of the contract total for each of the contract categories. The official allocation is based on the 90-percent exceedence forecast. The 50-percent exceedence forecast is provided for informational and planning purposes.
Mid-Pacific Region
Water Year 2009 Supply Forecast Update
March 20, 2009Probability of
Exceedence
ForecastsSacramento Valley Index* (Percent of Average/Water Year Classification)
North of Delta
AllocationSouth of Delta
AllocationAg
M&I
R
WR
Ag
M&I
R
WR
Dry Forecast (90%)
51% / Critical
5%
55%**
75%
75%
0%
50%**
75%
77%
Median Forecast (50%)
61% / Critical
15%
65%**
100%
100%
15%
65%**
100%
100%
*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.
The allocation for the Friant Division Contractors will be 65 percent Class 1 water and 0 percent Class 2 water based on the 90-percent exceedence forecast.
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 senior water rights, water quality, and the protection of fish and wildlife and associated habitats.
“Reclamation will continue to monitor runoff and reservoir storage conditions in the event changing conditions will support higher allocations,” stated Donald Glaser, Regional Director for the Mid-Pacific Region. ”In the meantime, Reclamation will use all water management tools at our disposal to meet our obligation to deliver water responsibly.”
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.
Not sure exactly what that means? The Capital Press explains:
California farmers and ranchers will get some federal water after all – if they’re north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued its updated allocation forecast on Friday, March 20, predicting that 5 percent to 15 percent of normal water deliveries would be available for agriculture north of the delta.
In the San Joaquin Valley, a zero-water scenario is still possible unless runoff levels reach 61 percent of average, at which point all Central Valley Project contractors would get 15 percent of what they would normally expect for agriculture.
North of the delta, urban areas would get 55 percent of their water under the dry forecast or 65 percent if the median runoff amount is reached – an achievement that the Bureau predicts has a 50 percent chance of coming true. South of the delta, residential areas would received 50 percent to 65 percent of their water.
Wildlife reserves and water rights holders everywhere would receive between 75 percent and 100 percent of their normal allocations, depending on the amount of runoff that accumulates this spring.
Read more from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Reclamation announces initial 2009 Central Valley Project Water Supply Allocation
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 20, 2009 at 8:39 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation:
Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced the initial Water Year (WY) 2009 allocations for the Federal Central Valley Project (CVP) based on the February 1 runoff forecast from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
Reclamation prepared two forecasts: a conservative 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 forecast, the unimpaired water year inflow into Shasta Reservoir is about 2.47 million acre-feet. The Shasta Reservoir unimpaired inflow is a criteria used to determine shortages to settlement contractors and refuges.
Reclamation traditionally expresses the monthly forecast as a percentage (see summary table) of the contract total for each of the contract categories. The official allocation is based on the 90-percent exceedence forecast. The 50-percent exceedence forecast is provided for informational and planning purposes.
The 50-percent exceedence forecast is provided for informational and planning purposes.
Mid-Pacific Region
Initial Water Year 2009 Supply Forecast
February 20, 2009Probability of
Exceedence
ForecastsPercent of Historical Average
Sacramento Valley
Index & Year TypeNorth of Delta Allocation
South of Delta Allocation
Ag
M&I
R
WR
Ag
M&I
R
WR
Dry Forecast (90%)
41% Critical
0%
50%*
75%
75%**
0%
50%*
75%
77%
Median Forecast (50%)
55% Critical
10%
60%*
100%
100%
10%
60%*
100%
100%
*The allocation percentage for M&I is approximate and may be adjusted to meet public health and safety needs.
**The potential for further reductions may exist if critically dry conditions continue.The allocation for the Friant Division Contractors will be 25 percent Class 1 water and 0 percent Class 2 water based on the 90-percent exceedence forecast. The New Melones 90-percent exceedence inflow forecast for WY 2009 is 360,000 acre-feet, and as a result, no water supply is available for CVP Eastside Division (Stanislaus River) contractors.
During this critically dry period, Reclamation is closely coordinating 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 quality and the protection of fish and wildlife and associated habitats.
“These are challenging times, and Reclamation will continue to explore all options within our authorities to minimize the impacts to those affected by this water shortage,” stated Donald Glaser, Regional Director for the Mid-Pacific Region.
In the coming months, updates to this forecast will be announced and information will be posted on the Region’s website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp.
Valley growers to get bad news on water deliveries
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 20, 2009 at 7:53 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
West Valley farmers Friday will hear the news they have feared for weeks — an unprecedented forecast of no federal water for their multibillion-dollar industry.
Farmers now must shift into survival mode, pumping ground water to keep orchards alive and leaving bare dirt where tomatoes, onions and melons grew in previous years.
“People are going to be using every available ground-water well and trying to get by,” said Sarah Woolf, spokeswoman for Westlands Water District, the largest of the affected districts.
One Westlands farmer, Joe Rascon, will cut his cotton crop by 75%. “It is going to be a nightmare,” he said Thursday.
Even if there is a lot of rainfall in the next several weeks, west-side farmers can expect only 10% of the water they want. The lowest previous delivery was 25% during two drought years in the early 1990s.
The estimate might be revised in March or April if precipitation picks up significantly, but while people are hopeful, no one is holding their breath for that to happen. This should keep things interesting:
Valley water officials say Friday’s forecast will not settle one troubling question: Will east-side farmers have to give up some of their San Joaquin River water for west-side farmers who have high priority under decades-old contracts?
If the high-priority west siders — known as exchange contractors — cannot get their allotment of imported water from Northern California, they can legally get water from Millerton Lake, near Fresno.
That has never happened, and east-side farmers, who irrigate with water from Millerton Lake, would lose water in that event. East siders today also will hear news about their San Joaquin River forecast — 25% for their high-priority farmers in the Friant Water Users Authority and zero for their lower-priority farmers.
“We would like to see a lot of storms in the next several weeks,” said Ron Jacobsma, Friant general manager. “If there is a call on Friant water from the exchange contractors, we could have very tight water supplies this year.”
The official announcement comes this morning at 8:30 in a joint conference with Lester Snow of the California Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation officials. Of course, Aquafornia will have the press releases for you right here as soon as they hit the internet, so stay tuned. To read the full text of this story from the Fresno Bee, click here.
Reclamation anticipates reduced allocations amid harsh California drought conditions; Agency begins alerting stakeholders in advance of February 20 water supply allocation announcement, assessing options to help alleviate supply shortage
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 15, 2009 at 8:24 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that low natural inflows into the Shasta Reservoir have triggered shortage criteria in its contracts with major California water users, and that, in accordance with the contracts, available water quantities for the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and the San Joaquin Settlement Contractors will be significantly reduced for 2009. Reclamation is working to finalize its initial allocation for Water Year (WY) 2009 for all available Central Valley Project (CVP) supplies, which it will announce on February 20, 2009. In anticipation of next week’s announcement of initial allocations, Reclamation is working with the State of California and exploring all options under its authority to assist agriculture and municipal and industrial users, refuges, and senior water rights holders that may be affected by reduced allocations.
“If dry conditions persist through the spring, California will be facing its worst drought ever recorded, and this week’s forecasts for projected runoff suggest tough times ahead,” said Donald Glaser, Regional Director for Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region. “Although we will do all we can within our authorities in the coming days to make operational adjustments, we expect that the initial allocations that we will announce next week will not be good news for anyone. The Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are deeply concerned about this situation and its human and environmental impacts. These allocations will have serious impacts on the State of California, and we are exploring all possible options within our authority to try to help those affected in these very tough times.”
DWR and Bureau send emergency request to water board; Agencies ask Water Board to modify February Delta standards due to drought conditions
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 5, 2009 at 5:04 pm
From the Department of Water Resources:
Sacramento – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) today sent a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board asking for emergency modifications to certain Delta flow standards for the month of February. DWR and the Bureau are asking for this temporary relief because of the current and projected impact the state’s drought is having on fish and wildlife, urban and agricultural beneficial uses.
A copy of the letter can be found here: http://www.water.ca.gov/news/archive/
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