San Joaquin Agribusiness to Receive 75 to 100 Percent Water Allocations

San Joaquin Agribusiness to Receive 75 to 100 Percent Water Allocations

by Dan Bacher

Representative Tom McClintock, Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, convened a field hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, with the unwieldy title, “Creating Jobs by Overcoming Man-Made Drought: Time for Congress to Listen and Act," in Fresno on April 11, 2011.

McClintock and his corporate agribusiness-controlled colleagues falsely claimed that the San Joaquin Valley is suffering a “man-made drought” and that eliminating federal oversight of protections for collapsing Central Valley salmon and Delta fish populations in the Delta will somehow improve water allocations. Fishing, environmental, tribal and environmental justice groups said these claims are "all wet."

Ironically, the hearing took place just three days after the Bureau of Reclamation announced additional increases to water supply allocations for Central Valley Project water users south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta!

“The Bureau of Reclamation has just increased the allocation to West side growers to 75%,” said water expert Deirdre Des Jardins. “The San Luis Reservoir has been completely full.”

Chris Acree of Revive the San Joaquin also noted that the San Joaquin River Restoration flows have actually helped reduce the impact of Delta pumping restrictions.

“The Delta pumps have been able to pump at full speed for much of the spring because the extra river flows are helping reduce the impact of restrictions on Old and Middle River reverse flows," said Acre. “That’s part of the reason the San Luis reservoir has been full.”

Rep. McClintock also claimed that the environmental restrictions have fallowed 150,000 acres of land in the region.

Deirdre Des Jardins pointed out that most of the Fresno County acreage that is fallowed in 2011 is impaired by salinity, not lack of water.

“Westlands Water District and the federal government have bought and fallowed almost 100,000 acres of impaired land on the West side," she said. "The water has been transferred to less impaired lands within the district. Those fields are not coming back into irrigated production.” For more information, go to: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/11/18676864.php.

Based on current precipitation and runoff projections and other factors, the Bureau of Reclamation on April 8 announced increased water allocations for South-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors from 65 to 75 percent of their contract total. They also increased allocations from Municipal and Industrial (M&I) contractors from 90 percent of historic use to 100 percent of their contract total.

“We are continually monitoring runoff conditions, particularly in the San Joaquin basin, to determine how that water will be used in project operations," Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor said. "Based on the most recent analysis, we are pleased to announce these additional increases for South-of-Delta water users."

Of course, Connor, in line with the Obama administration's support of the construction of the peripheral canal, used the announcement to campaign for "a long-term solution" for "a more reliable water supply" - in other words, the peripheral canal/tunnel.

“Although this water year is providing a significant improvement to the water supply for South-of-Delta Water Service Contractors and should result in improved Delta conditions, it remains imperative that we find a long-term solution for a sustainable Delta and a more reliable water supply," stated Connor.

Under the terms of various CVP water contracts, current allocations follow:

Increased to 75 percent: Agricultural water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated 75 percent of their contract supply of 1.965 million acre-feet, an increase of 10 percent from the update announced on March 28, 2011, and 25 percent from the initial allocation in February.

All of the other CVP contractors were increased to 100 percent allocations!

Increased to 100 percent: South-of-Delta M&I contractors are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply, an increase of 10 percent from the update announced on March 28, 2011, and 25 percent from the initial allocation in February.

Unchanged at 100 percent: Agricultural water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 443,000 acre-feet.

Unchanged at 100 percent: M&I water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of approximately 340,000 acre-feet.

Unchanged at 100 percent: Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, who receive their CVP water supply based on a pre-CVP water right, are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 2.2 million acre-feet and 840,000 acre-feet respectively.

Unchanged at 100 percent: Wildlife refuges (Level 2) North- and South-of-Delta, whose allocations are based on a pre-established inflow trigger to Shasta Reservoir, are allocated 100 percent of their contract supply of 422,000 acre-feet. In addition, at this time Reclamation expects to meet all South-of-Delta Incremental Level 4 refuge water demands for Central Valley Project Improvement Act-designated refuges that can be served by San Luis Unit-Delta facilities.

Unchanged at 100 percent: Eastside water service contractors (Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District and Stockton East Water District), whose water supplies are delivered from New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River, are allocated their full contract supply of 155,000 acre-feet.

Unchanged at 100 percent Class 1 and 20 percent Class 2: Friant Division contractors’ water supply is delivered from Millerton Reservoir on the upper San Joaquin River. The first 800,000 acre-feet of water supply is considered Class 1; any remaining water is considered Class 2. The Friant Division water supply allocation is 100 percent of Class 1 (800,000 acre-feet) and 20 percent of the contracted supply of 1.4 million acre-feet of Class 2 (280,000 acre-feet).

So with west side San Joaquin growers slated to receive 75 percent water allocations and the rest 100 percent allocations, how the heck can McClintock be holding a hearing claiming that we are still in a "man-made drought?" What type of wacky parallel universe does he live in?

Here is the superb testimony by Larry Collins before the Committee today where he eviscerated the false claims of the "man-made drought" and "fish versus jobs" constantly spouted by McClintock and the agribusiness astroturf groups: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/11/18676872.php

For additional information, please visit http://www.usbr.gov/mp/pa/water or contact the Mid-Pacific Region’s Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TTY 916-978-5608) or e-mail mppublicaffairs [at] usbr.gov.