Westside Fresno County farmers get modest boost in federal water allocation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bureau of Reclamation raised south-of-Delta agricultural allocation from 20% to 25%.
- Municipal and industrial contractors’ allocation rose from 70% to 75% of historic use.
- Westlands said reservoir limits prevent capturing surplus water during high flows.
Improvements in reservoir storage and spring runoff conditions have contributed to a modest increase in water allocation for westside farmers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday.
The allocation has risen to 25% for the south-of-Delta contractors, up from a 20% allocation issued in March. Also receiving a boost in allocations are municipal and Industrial water service and repayment contractors. Their allocation increased from 70% to 75% of their historic use.
“Careful coordination and improved spring runoff conditions have strengthened overall system storage and allowed us to make additional water supplies available to south-of-Delta contractors,” said Adam Nickels, acting regional director. “While the Sierra snowpack has for the most part dissipated earlier than usual due to a warm spring, current reservoir storage and operational conditions support this incremental increase while maintaining prudent management of the CVP (Central Valley Project) system.”
Bureau officials said coordinated efforts to capture spring runoff kept the state’s major reservoirs at or above average storage levels for this time of year. April rain also provided inflows into the system.
Westlands Water District General Manager Allison Febbo said in a statement that while farmers appreciate the additional supply of water, the system still falls short of capturing and storing water.
“This allocation update is disappointing. While we appreciate the bureau’s ongoing effort to update allocations as conditions evolve, and recognize the significant operational constraints involved in balancing reservoir management, temperature requirements for fish, and the many competing demands placed on the Central Valley Project, this allocation update falls short of our growers’ water needs,” Febbo said.
She added that the CVP was designed to support water supply both north and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through reservoir operations and particularly for south-of-Delta agricultural allocations, through the diversion of excess flows in the winter and spring.
“Instead, lack of flexibility at our reservoirs combined with constraints on capturing surplus water during high-flow conditions has produced a system that is not fully delivering on its intended purpose,” Febbo said.
Westlands sits largely on the eastern side of Interstate 5 in western Fresno County. Its eastern border generally follows the path from Firebaugh to Lemoore, while its western border reaches south to Kettleman City in Kings County. Its 1,000 square miles contain some of the richest farmland in the nation, producing about $1.6 billion in crops in 2022, with an overall economic impact of more than $3.6 billion, according to a recent economic analysis.
