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Drought “effectively eliminated” for Central Valley Project

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Drought “effectively eliminated” for Central Valley Project
(Shasta Dam is a curved gravity concrete dam on the Sacramento River above Redding, Calif.)

A record-setting winter in 2023 has left the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project reservoirs with 8.17 million acre-feet of water in storage as it begins the 2024 water year.

California’s drought was effectively eliminated between December 2022 and March 2023 as a series of at least 12 strong and extreme atmospheric rivers hit the West Coast, Reclamation said. The storms’ aftermath marked the first time since 2020 that none of California was in exceptional or extreme drought.

“We could not have asked for better conditions in 2023 and the rain and snow were a welcome reprieve after the driest three-year stretch ever,” said Reclamation Regional Director Ernest Conant. “The ample precipitation California received has left our reservoirs well positioned as we transition to a new water year.”

Early in 2023, so much water was in the system that Reclamation declared the availability of Section 215 water for those able to enter temporary water service contracts. (Section 215 in the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 defines temporary water supplies and allows non-storable water to be applied to lands otherwise ineligible to receive federal water.)

The CVP supplies water to about 3 million acres of agricultural land in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys and provides urban water for millions of people and industrial water. Water from the CVP is also vital for the environment, wildlife and fishery restoration, including providing water to 19 refuges in the Central Valley, and hydroelectric power production.

The CVP’s major reservoirs are (from north to south) Trinity, Shasta, Folsom, New Melones, Millerton, and the federal share of San Luis Reservoir. The Shasta powerhouse has a capacity of 633 MW, Folsom 198.72 MW, New Melones 300 MW and Trinity 140 MW. San Luis Reservoir provides water to the 424 MW William R. Gianelli pump-generating plant. The water year begins Oct. 1 each year and ends Sept. 30.

Reclamation’s initial CVP allocation of 35% in February reflected the improved hydrologic conditions. By March, Shasta Reservoir increased to 81% of capacity, and San Luis Reservoir, the largest off-stream reservoir in the U.S., increased to 97%. In April, Reclamation increased all CVP water supply allocations to 100%.

“While we are pleased to start the 2024 water year with reserves, we know firsthand that California’s changing climate is unpredictable and dry years will undoubtedly reoccur. Reclamation will continue to manage water supplies accordingly and as always, encourage conservation and wise use of our water resources,” Conant said.