The City of San Francisco recently lambasted a proposal that could cut water deliveries to the city from the Tuolumne River (a tributary to the San Joaquin River and, ultimately, the Delta) at a March meeting held by the State Water Resources Control Board. City representatives provided a detailed presentation showing the economic harm that such cuts in water would have on the City's residents and businesses and urged the Water Board to rethink its actions.
From the California Natural Resources Agency
May 10, 2013 - The Consultant Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) is now available online for public review.
The lack of precipitation in California this winter has received significant attention in the media recently, with the latest Sierra snowpack survey finding snow levels of only 66 percent of average. Central Valley Project water users have already been told to expect only 25 percent of their annual water allocation this year and State Water Project contractors are not much better off at only a 40 percent projected allocation.
But the current snowpack is not the only factor used to determine allocations; water storage levels are another key element. Surprisingly, most of the state’s major reservoirs are sitting well above historic average. These stored supplies remain healthy and could be used to make more water available to the state’s residents, farms and businesses, but that isn’t happening. How could it happen?