Today, after steadily increasing the State Water Project (SWP) allocation from 10% in December to 45% in March, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) again increased its water delivery for most recipients to 60% of requests for 2016. The extra allocation is primarily due to March storms that provided substantial precipitation to Northern California, filling key northern reservoirs, including Shasta, Oroville and Folsom.

To read the full story from DWR on Maven’s Notebook, click here.

In spite of the SWP boost, the federal Bureau of Reclamation has announced a mere 5% allocation for Central Valley Project (CVP) south-of-Delta districts, which predominantly serve farms. Given that both the state and federal projects derive their flows from the same watersheds, the disparity is stark and indefensible. Clearly, a rebalancing of priorities is needed in the regulatory policies that govern California’s water supplies.

To read WG’s reaction to the CVP 5 percent allocation announcement on April 1, 2016, click here.