Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced an updated allocation of 25 percent for Westlands Water District (District) and other south-of-Delta Central Valley Project irrigation water service contractors, an increase from the previous 20 percent.
In response, Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District, issued the following statement:
“This allocation update is disappointing. While we appreciate the Bureau’s ongoing effort to update allocations as conditions evolve, and recognize the significant operational constraints involved in balancing reservoir management, temperature requirements for fish, and the many competing demands placed on the Central Valley Project (CVP), this allocation update falls short of our growers’ water needs.
This year’s conditions underscore the continued strain on our water system. Early precipitation and full reservoirs met a record hot March, leading to an extraordinarily low snowpack. This kind of weather whiplash between wet and dry conditions has become all too familiar but demonstrates the urgent need to reprioritize our water management policies to fix an outdated and broken system.
The CVP was designed to support water supply both north and south of the Delta through reservoir operations and, particularly for south of Delta agricultural allocations, through the diversion of excess flows in the winter and spring. Instead, lack of flexibility at our reservoirs combined with constraints on capturing surplus water during high-flow conditions has produced a system that is not fully delivering on its intended purpose.
This situation is exactly why we urge the Trump Administration to continue progress implementing Executive Order 14181 and move forward on Initiative 6. We need increased investment in storage and conveyance infrastructure, along with meaningful regulatory flexibility that prioritizes the needs of Californians, including our Central Valley communities. Without it, our water system will continue to fall short for the people and the purpose it was built to serve.”
Westlands continues to work closely with the Bureau of Reclamation, federal leadership, and policymakers to develop new methods and tools that will secure increased allocations and improve operational flexibility in the future.