State bends to political pressure and increases water allocation

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced yesterday they are increasing the State Water Project (SWP) allocation to 20 percent of requested supplies. That’s up from 15 percent in December.

Whether the increase is due recent political pressure is unknown. DWR said in a statement that storms in late November 2024 and above average reservoir levels was the driving force behind the welcome news.

“We are in the middle of our biggest months for precipitation for California, and unfortunately January has been very dry, putting a significant dent in our season,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “A return to wet weather is critical for our season’s success and it will take many more storms to make up the deficit and further boost water supply deliveries.”

Twenty-seven million Californians depend on water deliveries from the State Water Project. Each year, DWR provides allocation forecasts based on available water storage, projected water supply, and water demands. Allocations are updated monthly as snowpack, rainfall, and runoff information is assessed, with a final allocation typically determined in May or June.

DWR will perform the February manual snow survey next week.