California Farm Bureau critical of state's preliminary water allocation for 2023

The California Department of Water Resources' initial State Water Project allocation for the upcoming year is 5% of 2023 water supplies requested from the SWP, California’s water and power system.

“It is going to take a multi-pronged approach to successfully respond to these unprecedented drought conditions,” Kara Nemeth, director of DWR, said in a news release.

The allocations are updated monthly as snowpack and runoff is assessed, with final allocations usually confirmed in May or June, according to the DWR.

By comparison, other low initial water allocations include 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%.

This minimal water allocation is unwelcome news to many California farmers, business owners and residents.

“Here we go again,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said in a news release. “This means that 23 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland are facing another year of uncertainty and economic hardships. California has failed to act on critical projects to provide additional water storage, stormwater capture and groundwater recharge that are needed to protect our farms and cities from water shortages in dry years.”

If this initial allocation remains steady, it will be the third year in a row with final water allotments confirmed at 5%, according to the release.

Related news: Surviving megadrought, Southwest citrus growers manage water wisely

“California’s dismal leadership in safeguarding our water resources harms our food production as consumers face rising prices at the grocery store. It also undercuts healthy crop production, which helps reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. California must have a more coherent water plan. Our drought strategy cannot solely be a policy of managing scarcity,” Johansson said in the release.

Water priorities

According to the DWR, water supply priorities fall into four main categories:

• Water for health and safety needs, as well as delta salinity control.

• Water for endangered species.

• Water to reserve in storage.

• Water for additional supply allocations, if possible.

“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. That means we need to prepare now for a dry winter and severe drought conditions to continue through 2022,” Nemeth said in the release. “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.”