California Increasing Water Deliveries Following Recent Winter Storms
The recent stormy weather in California has brought some positive news for the state’s water supply, as the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is planning to increase water deliveries. The water managers are cautiously optimistic about the state’s water situation as they head into the second half of the winter season.
Recently, the DWR announced that the state water project will be able to deliver 1.27 million acre-feet of water to requesting agencies in Central and Southern California, which is about 30% of the total requested water supply. This marks a significant improvement from the initial winter forecast of delivering just 5% of the requested water supply.
It is worth mentioning that last year during the height of the drought, no water deliveries were projected. This new development is a positive sign for California as we head into spring and summer. The state water project is designed to deliver water from Northern California reservoirs to agencies in Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley, and the Bay Area, which is home to about two-thirds of the state’s population.
The improvement in water supply is due to the rise of two of the state water project’s largest reservoirs, Oroville and San Luis, in the past month. This has allowed water managers to plan to send more water south while also storing enough water for people in Northern California.
As of Thursday, Lake Oroville is at 63% of its capacity, and the water continues to steadily flow in from the surrounding watershed. The forecast for the state water project’s water supply is a conservative one and does not take into account the Sierra snowpack.
The statewide snowpack is currently at 216% of the average for January 26 and 128% of the April 1 average. The DWR will conduct three more snow surveys this season and use the information along with data from aerial snow surveys to potentially adjust the state water project’s water supply forecast.
While the current water situation in California is looking promising, it is important to keep in mind that the state is not out of the drought yet. California is known for its dry spells, and the state has experienced drought conditions several times in recent years.
The recent stormy weather in California has brought some positive news for the state’s water supply, as the Department of Water Resources is planning to increase water deliveries. While the current water situation is looking promising, it is essential to continue practicing water conservation measures to ensure that there is enough water for everyone during times of drought. The DWR will continue to monitor the state’s water situation and adjust their water supply forecast as necessary.
