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The sun sets on the American River Parkway on Monday, June 27, 2022 near the Watt Ave. bridge. On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Bureau of Reclamation announced initial water supply allocations for urban water agencies.<\/p>\n
Hector Amezcua<\/p>\n
hamezcua@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
The Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday announced initial water allocations for Central Valley Project contractors.<\/p>\n
Urban water agencies that get Central Valley Project supplies from the Sacramento and American rivers are set to receive 100% of their contracted water. Irrigation water service contractors \u2014 or agricultural water users \u2014 on the Sacramento River are also getting their full contracted amounts.<\/p>\n
Jim Peifer, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Water Authority, said he views the allocation as a positive sign of water supply conditions this year, with no shortages expected for the region. Peifer, however, warned that conditions can change from year to year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAllocations are such that we don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to see any shortages this year, but we\u2019re always worried about next year, and we want to make sure that there is enough water left in the reservoir at the end of the year, in case next year is really dry,\u201d Peifer said.<\/p>\n
According to the federal agency, the allocations are determined by a number of factors, including how much water is expected to be available, along with reservoir levels, precipitation and Sierra Nevada snowpack.<\/p>\n
In its Thursday news release<\/a>, the agency said \u201cwhile early-season storms brought some precipitation to the Sierra, a dry and warm January significantly reduced snow accumulation,\u201d noting above average reservoir storage following recent wet years.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile current snowpack conditions remain below average, we are encouraged by the recent storm activity and the additional precipitation it has brought to the state,\u201d said Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels in a release.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we receive and analyze updated data from these storms, particularly snowpack and runoff forecasts, we are hopeful conditions may improve. We will continue to closely monitor hydrologic developments and update allocations accordingly to reflect the most accurate and up-to-date information available.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the California Department of Water Resources conducted the third snow survey of the 2026 season Friday<\/a>, finding snowpack at just 47% of average for this date at Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe. Statewide, the snowpack is at 66% of average for this date, down from 85% at this point a year ago.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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