State Water Allotments Increased Following Recent Storms
Sacramento, CA — The California State Water Project, a complex storage and delivery system that spans 705 miles, will deliver 40% of the water requested this year.
Initially, DWR was planning to provide 35% of what was requested, but it was bumped up following the wet March.
The State Water Project is a collection of canals, pipelines, and reservoirs that distributes water to 27 million downstream Californians and 750,000 acres of valley farmland.
The Department of Water Resources updated the percentage following the most recent Sierra Nevada Snowpack readings, which registered 90% of average snowpack on April 1st.
The 40% figure is the same amount as what was made available last year. In 2023, following a record-breaking rain and snow season, 100% of requested allocations were met. In 2021 and 2022, only 5% was allocated, a blow to many farmers. In 2020, it was 20%, and in 2019 was 75%.
