2011 was already shaping up to be a pivotal year for California’s water supply, with the development of the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan and continued progress toward completion of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), before record rains continued well into June and washed away the drought that had plagued the state for the past four years.
As of mid-June, the Sierra snowpack was at over 380% of historical average. With almost all of the state’s reservoirs near capacity, there will be a historic abundance of water flowing in California’s rivers throughout the summer. Yet instead of quelling California’s water problems, the abundant water supply is actually highlighting the vital failures in the state’s water policy and infrastructure. In a year in which many are worried about the integrity of the state’s levee system and its ability to control large amounts of runoff from the huge Sierra snowpack, millions of California residents and thousands of farms and other businesses will not receive the full amount of their contracted water supplies because of regulatory restrictions and deficiencies in the water infrastructure needed to move water around the state.
Furthermore, the federal wildlife agencies are intent on implementing a Delta pumping restriction this fall that will reduce the water deliveries to State Water Project contractors by an estimated 500,000 acre-feet, even though a federal court and the highly-esteemed National Research Council has called into question the scientific legitimacy of the restriction.
California could not ask for a better water supply than what was delivered this winter by Mother Nature, nor could its infrastructure handle much more and regulatory restrictions are still having an impact. The fact that many are still seeing shortages in supply is a glaring signal that progress must be made in ensuring a reliable water supply for the 25 million Californians and millions of acres of farmland dependent on the Delta.
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