California water agency says allocation will focus on "health and safety needs"

California state water officials are bracing for another dry year in 2022.

The Department of Water Resources announced its initial State Water Project allocation for 2022 along with several steps to manage the state’s water supply in anticipation of a third dry year with reservoirs at or near historic lows, according to a news release.

Given the unprecedented drought conditions, the State Water Project's initial allocation for December 1 will focus on the health and safety needs for 2022 of the 29 water agencies that contract to receive SWP supplies, the agency said in the release. DWR has advised these water agencies to expect an initial allocation that prioritizes health and safety water needs and that the SWP will not be planning water deliveries through its typical allocation process until the state has a clearer picture of the hydrologic and reservoir conditions going into the spring.

The department said in the release that it is focused on prioritizing water supply in four categories: water for health and safety needs and Delta salinity control; water for endangered species; water to reserve in storage; and water for additional supply allocations if the hydrology allows.

"Despite a wet start to the water year, conditions have dried out since that first storm and we are still planning for a below-average water year," Department of Water Resource director Karla Nemeth said in the release. "That means we need to prepare now for a dry winter and severe drought conditions to continue through 2022. We will be working with our federal partners and SWP contractors to take a conservative planning approach to balance limited water supplies with the needs of residents, businesses, and the environment. It is going to take a multi-pronged approach to successfully respond to these unprecedented drought conditions,” said Nemeth.

Each year, the Department of Water Resources provides the initial State Water Project allocation by December 1 based on available water storage and projected water supply demands. Allocations are updated monthly as snowpack and runoff information is assessed, with a final allocation typically determined in May or June, according to the release.

The lowest initial allocations were 5% in 2010 and 2014. Last year, the initial SWP allocation was 10%, however due to increasing dry conditions, the final allocation was lowered to 5%.