Federal agency boosts Central Valley water allocation to 31% — citing Trump executive order — Photo: JFVelasquez Floro — CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Federal agency boosts Central Valley water allocation to 31% — citing Trump executive order
Central Valley farmers get 3% more water than the Bureau of Reclamation promised them two months ago. The agency now says it will deliver 31% of contracted supplies to south-of-Delta farmers — up from the 28% it announced in August, and double the 15% it committed to in February.
The Bureau of Reclamation announced the increase Tuesday. It said the bump is to comply with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14181, which told agencies to maximize water deliveries in California.
The extra 3% will come from water supplies already south of the Delta, the Bureau said.
Westlands Water District — which serves west Fresno County — holds a 1,195,000 acre-foot contract. Three percent of that is 37,450 acre-feet.
That matches what Westlands farmers said they would otherwise have to pump from the aquifer, according to Westlands Board President Jeff Fortune. General Manager Allison Febbo surveyed growers in August after the Bureau’s 28% allocation. Fortune told SJV Water the answer came back around 40,000 acre-feet.
“While allocation increases this late in the water year are unusual, the latest hydrologic data shows there is water available in our reservoirs that can be put to beneficial use now,” Febbo said in a statement.
Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels said the increase would “help meet the needs of farms and communities across California.”
The Breakdown
- The Bureau of Reclamation started the year promising Central Valley farmers 15% of their contracted water supplies (February).
- It raised that to 28% in August.
- It raised it again to 31% this week, citing compliance with Trump’s executive order directing agencies to maximize California water deliveries.
- For Westlands Water District in west Fresno County, the increase is 37,450 acre-feet — matching what farmers said they would otherwise pump from the aquifer.
What This Means for You
Federal water policy in the Central Valley is now being run under a presidential directive to maximize deliveries to farmers. The Bureau has raised allocations three times in eight months, from 15% to 31%, with this latest increase matching the amount Westlands farmers reported they would otherwise pump from groundwater.
What to Watch
The Bureau called the timing of this increase “unusual” but gave no figure for how much water remains in the reservoirs it is drawing from, and no projection for what next year’s allocation will be. The agency said there is water available in reservoirs that can be put to beneficial use now, but provided no explanation for why the same water was not allocated in August when Febbo surveyed farmers.
