Water rights holders may see curtailment orders lifted

When the California drought kicked into high gear in 2014, officials at the State Water Resources Control Board made a tough decision: mandating junior and senior water rights holders to curtail the amount of water they use. The severity of the California drought meant even those with historical rights to water had to cutback or stop use altogether. Around 10,000 water rights holders received curtailment letters.

As El Nino rocks the west coast, the State Water Resources Control Board is considering reducing their previous curtailment levels, depending on a water rights holders’ location. Should the curtailment need to be reintroduced, the Board would mandate cutbacks of water rights holders who utilize specific streams and rivers.

One of the most critical areas, according to Board chairman Felicia Marcus, are the streams that are home to salmon populations. Currently, Tehama County has division curtailments to protect salmon. During certain times of the year, residents are not allowed to pump water for irrigation, in order to ensure the salmon population can thrive.

The board will decide in February whether or not to curb water diversions in areas where salmon populations thrive.