State Will Halve Its Agricultural Water Deliveries

State water officials said Friday they expect to cut by half the amount of water delivered this year to agricultural customers, citing low rainfall and dwindling storage as California faces a fourth year of drought.

The Department of Water Resources said, however, that full water deliveries would continue to urban areas. And authorities said that late-season storms could improve the water outlook, “but considerably higher-than-average rainfall would be needed in March and April to deliver the full amounts requested.”

Among the hardest hit areas are the rural Central Valley water districts, including Oak Flat, Kings County, Devil’s Den, Empire West Side, Kern County and the Tulare Lake Basin.

Water Resources spokesman Al Jones said the proposed cuts are “our March projection. Things could possibly change for the better, but it’s unlikely. Most of the rainy season is over and there are no cloudbursts on the horizon.”

He added that forecasts would also be released in April and May, “after the runoff is in, but we do not expect the situation to change.” The cuts, he said, would likely go into effect during the summer.

According to the Water Resources Department, the state delivers about 3.1 million acre-feet annually to 30 major contractors, most of them local agencies that distribute water to their customers, which include cities and water districts.