[env-trinity] FW: Reclamation Announces Increases to Water Supply Allocations for CVP Water Users South of the Delta

[Byron Leydecker]

 Reclamation News Release Header <http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/images/nrheader.gif> 

Mid-Pacific Region
Sacramento, CA

MP-11-043

Media Contact:  Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, plucero at usbr.gov

For Release On:  March 28, 2011

Reclamation Announces Increases to Water Supply Allocations for CVP Water Users South of the Delta

Following on the commitment by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to continually monitor and evaluate the reservoir levels and water run-off within California’s Central Valley Project (CVP) to determine if additional supplies can be made available to CVP water contractors as quickly as possible, the Bureau of Reclamation today announces increases to the water supply allocations for users south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for the 2011 contract year.

On March 22, Reclamation announced increases to the 2011 water supply allocations for South-of-Delta agricultural and Municipal and Industrial (M&I) water users from 50 to 55 percent and 75 to 80 percent, respectively. Now, additional precipitation in California, which has been used to update runoff projections, allows for further increases to the allocations. The allocation for South-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors is increased from 55 percent to 65 percent of their contract total, and the allocation for South-of-Delta M&I contractors is increased from 80 percent to 90 percent of historic use.

“The allocation now exceeds the 20-year average of 62 percent for South-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors, and additional increases are still possible. It should be noted, however, that due to the deterioration in the Delta environment, restrictions in South-of-Delta pumping are likely to continue during certain times of the year,” said Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor. “The Bay-Delta Conservation Plan offers the best opportunity for a comprehensive solution that addresses the dual needs of water supply reliability and environmental restoration, and we remain committed to that effort.”

Reclamation will continue to monitor all developing water supply data and look for additional opportunities to increase the allocations in the coming weeks.

Under the terms of various CVP water contracts, the updated allocations are as follows: 

*	Increased to 65 percent:  Agricultural water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated 65 percent of their contract supply of 1.965 million acre-feet, an increase of 10 percent from the update announced on March 22, 2011, and 15 percent from the initial allocation in February.
 
*	Increased to 90 percent:  South-of-Delta M&I contractors are allocated 90 percent of historic use, an increase of 10 percent from the update announced on March 22, 2011, and 15 percent from the initial allocation in February.
 
*	Unchanged at 100 percent:  Agricultural water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 443,000 acre-feet.
 
*	Unchanged at 100 percent:  M&I water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of approximately 340,000 acre-feet.
 
*	Unchanged at 100 percent:  Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, who receive their CVP water supply based on a pre-CVP water right, are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 2.2 million acre-feet and 800,000 acre-feet respectively.
 
*	Unchanged at 100 percent:  Wildlife refuges (Level 2) North- and South-of-Delta, whose allocations are based on a pre-established inflow trigger to Shasta Reservoir, are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 422,000 acre-feet.
 
*	Unchanged at 100 percent:  Eastside water service contractors (Central San Joaquin Water Conservancy District and Stockton East Water District), whose water supplies are delivered from New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River, are allocated their full contract supply of 155,000 acre-feet.
 
*	Unchanged at 100 percent Class 1 and 20 percent Class 2:  Friant Division contractors’ water supply is delivered from Millerton Reservoir on the upper San Joaquin River. The first 800,000 acre-feet of water supply is considered Class 1; any remaining water is considered Class 2. The Friant Division water supply allocation is 100 percent of Class 1 (800,000 acre-feet) and 20 percent of the contracted supply of 1.4 million acre-feet of Class 2 (280,000 acre-feet).

Changes to hydrology and opportunities to exercise operational flexibility of the CVP are factors and conditions that will influence the water supply and allocations as the water year progresses. Water supply updates will be made monthly or more often as appropriate and will be posted at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/.

For additional information, please visit http://www.usbr.gov/mp/pa/water or contact the Mid-Pacific Region’s Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TTY 916-978-5608) or e-mail mppublicaffairs at usbr.gov.

# # #

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 land

415 519 4810 mobile

bwl3 at comcast.net 

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org 

http://www.fotr.org

 

 

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