<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yiv2900897770"><div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: garamond, 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_7_1425319426147_4">The February CVP operations forecast (reservoir levels, flow volumes, etc) can be found at: <br></div><div class="yiv2900897770yahoo_quoted" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_7_1425319426147_15" style="display: block;"><div style="font-family: garamond, 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;" class="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13778" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13966"><div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" class="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13779"
id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13965"><div class="yiv2900897770y_msg_container" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13964"><div id="yiv2900897770"><div id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13963"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: garamond, 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;" class="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13781" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13962"><div class="yiv2900897770" style="" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13969">90% exceedance forecast (dry) http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/data/Feb90_2015.pdf </div><div class="yiv2900897770" style="" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13968">50% exceedance forecast (average) </div><div class="yiv2900897770" style="" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13967"><br class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div class="yiv2900897770
yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13787" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: garamond, 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13961">http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27611367/california-drought-water-shortages-near-certainty-this-summer<br class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div class="yiv2900897770" style="" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13974"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 33px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2;" class="yiv2900897770 yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13790" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13973">California drought: Water shortages a near certainty for this summer as feds announce low deliveries.</span><br class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div id="yiv2900897770articleByline" class="yiv2900897770
yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13792" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 22.652000427246094px;"><a rel="nofollow" class="yiv2900897770" ymailto="mailto:progers@mercurynews.com?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:" target="_blank" href="mailto:progers@mercurynews.com?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:" style="color:rgb(82, 120, 174);text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;"><div class="yiv2900897770" style="margin-right:10px;font-style:italic;font-weight:normal;line-height:20px;display:inline;padding-right:10px;float:left;border-right-width:1px;border-right-style:solid;border-right-color:rgb(204, 204, 204);color:rgb(85, 85, 85);word-spacing:2px;">By Paul Rogers </div></a><div class="yiv2900897770" style="line-height:20px;display:inline;"><a rel="nofollow" class="yiv2900897770"
ymailto="mailto:progers@mercurynews.com?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:" target="_blank" href="mailto:progers@mercurynews.com?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:" style="color:rgb(204, 204, 204);text-decoration:none;font-style:normal;"></a><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:progers@mercurynews.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:progers@mercurynews.com" style="outline-width:0px;font-style:normal;color:rgb(57, 84, 122);" class="yiv2900897770">progers@mercurynews.com</a></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770articleBody" class="yiv2900897770 yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13798" style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 22.652000427246094px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><div class="yiv2900897770" style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;">In a clear indicator that California is descending into a fourth year of drought, the federal government on Friday announced
that the Central Valley Project -- California's largest water
delivery system -- will provide no water again this year to most Central Valley farmers and only 25 percent of the contracted amount to urban areas such as Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP2r" style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P2r" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP2" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P2" style=""></div></div>The announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation means that farmers in California's main agricultural region will fallow hundreds of thousands of acres, and heavily pump already depleted wells, perhaps faster than last year.<div class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em
!important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP3r" style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P3r" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP3" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P3" style=""></div></div>It also increases the likelihood of stricter conservation rules -- including fines for excessive water use -- this summer for millions of residents who receive water from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Contra Costa Water District, all of whom draw a portion of their supply from the Central Valley Project.<div class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP4r"
style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P4r" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP4" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P4" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelAutoplaceParent" style="float:left;margin:0px 15px 0px 0px;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ppixelAutoplace" style="max-width:425px;max-height:240px;"></div></div>"Today's picture is not a pretty one," said David Murillo, regional director for the Bureau of Reclamation. "Based on all indicators, we are looking at a fourth year of drought."<br><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP5r" style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P5r"
style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP5" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P5" style=""></div></div>The Central Valley Project was built starting in the 1930s. It moves water from Shasta Lake near Redding all the way to Bakersfield through a series of 20 dams, 500 miles of canals and huge pumps. In most years, the project provides nearly 90 percent of its water to farms. In dry years, cities receive
priority over most farmers. Farmers, however, with the oldest claims to water could receive up to 75 percent of their contracted amounts this year.<div class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP6r" style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P6r" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP6" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P6" style=""></div></div>Meanwhile, urban water providers said Friday's news means they will scramble to increase conservation, buy water from the few willing sellers, and will rely on heavier groundwater pumping to get through the year.<div class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em
!important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP7r" style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P7r" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP7" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P7" style=""></div></div>Most of California's major cities have so far gotten by with only voluntary conservation rules, with no fines or water cops. That may well change now.<div class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770"></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP8r" style="float:right;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P8r" style=""></div></div><div id="yiv2900897770ppixelP8" style="float:left;" class="yiv2900897770"><div class="yiv2900897770"
id="yiv2900897770ndn-video-player-P8" style=""></div></div>"Unless it pours rain in the next two months, we're facing a long, dry, tough summer," said Abby Figueroa, a spokeswoman for the
EBMUD, which serves 1.3 million people in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.<div class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Figueroa said the district's board will meet in April to discuss putting in place penalties for excessive water use, and mandatory limits on when people can water lawns. Some cities, like Morgan Hill, already limit lawn watering to only one day a week.</div><div class="yiv2900897770" style="margin:10px 20px 10px 0px;float:left;width:400px;" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13996"><div class="yiv2900897770" style="border-style:none;color:rgb(136, 136, 136);margin-right:10px;width:400px;" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13995"><span style="font-size: 1.07em; line-height: 1.76em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Customers in EBMUD and the Santa Clara Valley Water District cut use 13 percent last year from the prior
year. Not bad, but below Gov. Jerry Brown's request for 20 percent.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770" id="yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13990">On March 24, the Santa Clara Valley Water District will discuss tougher conservation measures, which could include asking South Bay cities to strictly limit lawn watering and, for the first time during this drought, issue fines for violators. They also will consider further ramping up rebates for people who remove lawns and buy water-efficient appliances. To make up for
the lack of rain, the district has been heavily pumping groundwater, taking the water table under San Jose down 60 feet over the past three years.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">"We're going to have to do more
belt-tightening," said Garth Hall, district deputy operating officer. "I don't know how far each city will go. It's going to vary across the landscape."</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">At the Contra Costa Water District, the board in April will consider tightening a rule that doubles the cost of water for households that use more than 1,000 gallons a day -- about triple the area average.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Residents in San Francisco, the Peninsula and South Bay who receive Hetch Hetchy water are not affected by Friday's announcement.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">The last three years have been the driest three-year period in California history back to the Gold Rush in 1850. Although
Northern California
received several strong storms in December and February -- and is expecting light rain this weekend -- those storms have not built up the state's critical Sierra Nevada snowpack, which stood at 19 percent of normal on Friday. That's because they were warm storms, and record hot temperatures in January and February have melted much of the snow.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">"We're flirting with the lowest snowpack on record," said Frank Gehrke, chief of the state's snow survey program.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Farm groups said Friday the news means major economic pain in the San Joaquin Valley and other agricultural regions, many of which received no federal water last year.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;"
class="yiv2900897770">"As rural
Californians face an uncertain future, their communities will continue to struggle with mounting unemployment and economic hardship," said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Wade called the announcement "a tragic repeat of last year," and said more jobs will be lost and land fallowed.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Last year, 428,000 acres, or 5 percent of the state's cropland, was left unplanted because of the drought, and 17,100 jobs -- about 4 percent of all state farm employment -- were lost. </div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Wade called on the federal government to relax regulations to protect salmon, smelt and other
endangered fish to allow more
water to be pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, something environmental and fishing groups oppose.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">"Coming on the heels of the driest three-year period in California's history, it's not surprising that allocations are low across the state," said Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">Pumping even more water out of the Delta will increase salinity and harm drinking water quality for 25 million California residents, Obegi said, noting there already have been huge salmon die-offs due to water cutbacks and increased river temperatures.</div><div style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;" class="yiv2900897770">"Waiving
environmental laws won't
make it rain," he said.</div><div class="yiv2900897770" style="margin-bottom:18px;font-size:1.07em !important;line-height:1.76em !important;">Staff writer Kim Smuga-Otto contributed to this report. Paul Rogers covers resources and environmental issues. Contact him at 408-920-5045. Follow him at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/paulrogerssjmn" style="color:rgb(82, 120, 174);text-decoration:none;" class="yiv2900897770">Twitter.com/paulrogerssjmn</a>.</div><span class="yiv2900897770" style=""></span></div><div style="background-color:transparent;" class="yiv2900897770"><span class="yiv2900897770 yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13874" style="width: auto; text-align: center; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.652000427246094px;"></span></div><div id="yiv2900897770the-most-popular" style="padding: 10px; margin: 10px 0px; border-top-width:
1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); clear: both; background-image: url(http://extras.mercurynews.com/css/images/mostpop_bk.gif); background-color: rgb(244, 239, 224); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.652000427246094px; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;" class="yiv2900897770 yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13875"></div><div class="yiv2900897770 yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13876" style="text-align: left; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.652000427246094px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal;
word-spacing: 0px;"></div><div class="yiv2900897770 yiv2900897770yui_3_16_0_1_1425319426147_13877" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: garamond, 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br class="yiv2900897770" style=""></div></div></div></div><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div></body></html>