Calif. DWR Announces Initial 2006 Water Allocation

The Department of Water Resources announced the initial allocation for water delivery to the State Water Project Contractors in calendar year 2006.

The initial allocation is 55% of Contractors' requested amounts and will likely increase during the winter months. This initial allocation is slightly more than the initial allocation for calendar year 2005 of 40% and, since most of the period of heavy precipitation lies ahead, is considered a good start on water supply projections.

The 2005 allocation was later raised to 90% of Contractors' requested amounts. The 55% initial allocation amounts to 2,269,757 ac-ft, distributed among the 29 long-term SWP Contractors who serve more than 20 million Californians and about 750,000 ac of irrigated farmland.

In making this allocation of State Water Project water, a major source of water for many Californians, the Department considered a conservative projection of hydrology, State Water Project operational constraints and 2006 Contractor requests.

Source: California Department of Water Resources