From the State Water Resources Control Board:
This update contains important information about the curtailment status of water rights and claims of right within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) watershed pursuant to Initial Orders Imposing Water Right Curtailment and Reporting Requirements in the Delta Watershed (Order for water rights/claims under 5,000 acre-feet and Order for water rights/claims over 5,000 acre-feet).
Staff are in the process of updating the water unavailability analyses for the Delta watershed for June based on evolving conditions. Those updates are expected to be completed for curtailments effective next week. Pending completion of those updates, the following water rights that were curtailed last week remain curtailed, unless and until the State Water Board advises that this determination has been updated:
- A subset of three post-1914 appropriative water rights associated with the Central Valley Project in the San Joaquin River watershed, specifically the Upper San Joaquin River and Stanislaus River subwatersheds.
Based on current hydrologic forecasts, curtailments are expected to increase significantly next week, including at the subwatershed level, and continue through the summer and early fall until significant precipitation occurs. Accordingly, water right holders and claimants should plan for reduced supplies even if their water right or claim is not currently curtailed or has not been curtailed in the past. Regardless of curtailments, all right holders are reminded that they must abide by the terms of their water right and ensure that downstream senior water right holders are not harmed by their diversions. If water right holders or claimants believe their water rights are being impacted by the extension of last week’s curtailments, they may notify the State Water Board by emailing Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov with specific details regarding their concern, or they may file a formal complaint with the Division of Water Rights Enforcement Program.
Water right holders and claimants are responsible for monitoring their curtailment status online on the Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List. Notice of changes to curtailment status will not be mailed. For those with limited internet access, a pre-recorded curtailment summary can be heard on the Delta Curtailment Status phone line at (916) 323-4643.
The determination of water unavailability used to inform curtailments is based on the Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed. The data used to support curtailments and other relevant information is available on the State Water Board’s FTP site. To access the documents posted on the FTP site, please email Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov to obtain login credentials.
For more information about drought in the Delta watershed, please visit the Delta Drought webpage. For more information about curtailment compliance and responses to the Initial Orders Imposing Water Right Curtailment and Reporting Requirements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed, please visit the Curtailment Compliance and Responses webpage. The Curtailment Compliance and Responses tracker is updated regularly and can be filtered to see the latest changes. If you have any questions, you may send an email to Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov or call the Delta Drought phone line at (916) 319-0960.
