Secretary Salazar Announces Improved Initial 2011 Water Supply Allocation for California's Central Valley Project

WASHINGTON D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Bureau of Reclamation's Initial Central Valley Project (CVP) Water Supply Allocation for the 2011 contract year. This allocation reflects precipitation and snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas to date and improved carryover reservoir storage.

“Thanks to heavy storms in the last months of 2010, the CVP water supply is generally above-average for this date despite a dry January,” said Secretary Salazar. “Although this allocation is greatly improved over 2010's initial allocation, and most CVP contractors will receive 100 percent of their contract supply, South- of-Delta water service contractors still face challenging water supply conditions, particularly given the past few dry years and regulatory constraints. We will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to secure more reliable water supplies for water users South-of-Delta while addressing significant ecological issues.”

The allocation is based on February 1, 2011, hydrologic conditions; the California Department of Water Resources' February Water Year 2011 Runoff Forecast, which indicates a dry to below-normal water year type for the Sacramento Valley; and additional information.

“Water conditions have improved, but challenges remain and we must stay focused on using the tools we've developed for the 2011 water year to help alleviate shortages and improve overall water supply availability and management throughout the Central Valley Project,” said Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor. “We'll continue to work with all our partners as we adjust to changing water conditions with a goal of providing reliability in water deliveries.”

For this initial CVP allocation under the terms of various CVP water contracts:

• Agricultural water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 443,000 acre-feet, while agricultural water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated 50 percent of their contract supply of 1.965 million acre-feet.
• Municipal and Industrial (M&I) water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply, while M&I contractors South-of-Delta are allocated 75 percent of historic use.
• Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, who receive their CVP water supply based on a claimed pre-CVP water right, are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 2.2 million acre-feet and 800,000 acre-feet respectively.
• 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.
• 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. Based upon DWR's February Water Year 2011 Runoff Forecast, 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).
• 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.

A series of actions were developed for the 2011 water year to help support this improved initial water allocation and are intended to be used to respond to dry-year conditions as necessary. Those actions are identified in the CVP Water Plan for 2011, which may be accessed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/pa/water.

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 (If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.) or e-mail mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.

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