State Water Project allocation increased to 40 percent

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced yesterday that wet and cold storms in March have allowed for another increase to the State Water Project (SWP) allocation forecast for 2025. The allocation has increased to 40 percent of requested water supplies, up from 35 percent last month.

The latest allocation forecast is based on increases in precipitation, snowpack, and reservoir storage in the past month.

“As we near the end of the wet season, our focus shifts to snowpack runoff and whether temperatures allow for a slow melt so we can capture as much of that runoff as possible,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Despite periods of extremely dry conditions this season, water managers have been able to effectively capture, move, and store water for use later this year while also maintaining flood protection.”

The State Water Project was able to increase storage this month at its largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, and nearly fill the State Water Project’s share of storage at San Luis Reservoir in Merced County. That storage will help meet the needs of State Water Project contractors and their customers this year as well as provide some water supply next year in the event that dry conditions return. Lake Oroville storage is now up to 86 percent of capacity and 121 percent of historical average for this time of year.