Cotton Planting Forecast

2026 Regional Training Workshops

 

Bureau Announces Initial Federal Water Allocations

This week the Bureau of Reclamation announced initial 2026 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project water users. Water supply allocations are based on an estimate of water available for delivery and reflect current reservoir storage, precipitation, and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, as well as contractor-rescheduled water from the last water year. “While current snowpack conditions remain below average, we are encouraged by the recent storm activity and the additional precipitation it has brought to the state,” said Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. “As we receive and analyze updated data from these storms, particularly snowpack and runoff forecasts, we are hopeful conditions may improve. We will continue to closely monitor hydrologic developments and update allocations accordingly to reflect the most accurate and up-to-date information available.”  Based on current hydrology and forecasting, Reclamation announces the following initial Central Valley Project water supply allocations:
 
North-of-Delta Contractors
Sacramento River

  • Irrigation water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta are allocated 100% of their contract total. 
  • Municipal and industrial water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta are allocated 100% of their contract total.   
  • Sacramento River Settlement Contractors’ water supply is based upon settlement of claimed senior water rights. The 2026 water year is determined as non-critical, as defined in their Settlement Contracts, which allows for 100% of their contract water supply.

 
American River

  • M&I water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta who are serviced by Folsom Reservoir on the American River are allocated 100% of their contract total. 

 
In-Delta Contractors

  • M&I water service and repayment contractors who are serviced directly from the Delta are allocated 100% of their contract total.
  • Cross Valley water service and repayment contractors are allocated 15% of their contract total for irrigation; M&I water service and repayment contractors are allocated 65% of their historic use of public health and safety needs, whichever is greater.

 
South-of-Delta Contractors

  • Irrigation water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta are allocated 15% of their contract total.
  • M&I water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta are allocated 65% of their historic use, or public health and safety needs, whichever is greater.
  • San Joaquin River Settlement Contractors and San Joaquin Exchange Contractors’ water supply is based upon settlement/exchange of claimed senior water rights. The 2026 water year is determined as non-critical, as defined in their contracts, which allows for 100% of their contract supply.
  • In addition to this allocation, Central Valley Project contractors south-of-Delta are expected to reschedule approximately 180,000 acre-feet of unused allocated water from 2025 for use in 2026. South-of Delta allocation and rescheduled water supply accounts for 100% of the total south-of-Delta Water Repayment Contractors contract supply.

 
Eastside Water Contractors 

  • Eastside water service contractors (Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District and Stockton East Water District) will receive 0% of their contract total. 

 
Friant Division Contractors

  • Friant Division contractors’ water supply is delivered from Millerton Reservoir on the upper San Joaquin River via the Madera and Friant-Kern canals. The first 800,000 acre-feet of available water supply is considered Class 1; Class 2 is considered the next amount of available water supply up to 1.4 million acre-feet. The Friant Division water supply allocation 100% of Class 1 and 0% of Class 2. 

 
Wildlife Refuges

  • The 2026 water year is determined as non-critical, as defined in their contracts, which allows for 100% of contract supply for wildlife refuges (Level 2), both north- and south-of-Delta. 

 
“These initial allocations reflect a cautious but realistic assessment of water availability,” said Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. “There is still a portion of the traditionally wet season in front of us, and we are committed to delivering as much water as possible to our Central Valley Project contractors.”