State Water Project sees allocation increase

With El Nino coming to full fruition, the Department of Water Resources increased the projected water delivery estimate for most of the State Water Project recipients. Most recipients’ estimate increased from 10 percent to 15 percent.

“Our modest increase underscores the fact that we still have a critical water shortage after four-plus years of drought that we don’t know when will end,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “One look at our low reservoirs tells us that we need a lot more wet weather before summer.”

California reservoirs and basins remain at critically low points but have slowly risen.

Here are the current thresholds:

• Lake Oroville, 39 percent
• Shasta Lake, 47 percent
• San Luis, 31 percent
• Folsom Lake, 79 percent

If El Nino storms continue to hit drought-stricken California, the delivery estimate could continue to increase.