WSP11116

• File Number: 8056
• Description: Drought Preparedness
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 2/1/1976
• Author: Dept of Water Resour
• Title: Special Report on Dry Year Impacts in California
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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determine whether the risk could be further sustained.
lower cattle prices already being experienced would be
for several years to corne, reflecting the lower animal
ulations.

The
higher
pop-

Irrigated Areas - Precipitation provides about 25 to 30 percent
of the irrigated crop needs in the Sacramento Valley and
about 10 percent in the San Joaquin Valley. Since much of
this supply will not be available this year, application of
more water will be required if the crops are to receive a
full supply.

The impact of the dry period thus far on irrigated
agriculture has been felt most widely on orchards, many of
which have required irrigation to supply water that would
ordinarily be met by precipitation. Some grain on irrigated
land and irrigated pasture has also been supplied irrigation
water this winter. In general future impacts will be local-
ized since the water carried over from last year in large
reservoirs is adequate to meet essential requirements in most
areas.

California State Water Project - The Project delivers
two classes of water to its water supply contractors -
"firm" entitlement water and "non-firm" surplus water. The
Project has an adequate supply of water in its reservoirs to
meet the 1976 contractual entitlements (including the surplus
water amounts scheduled in December) of its contractors. Recent
requests for additional surplus water were not approved because
of the present dry water supply conditions. However, recent
requests for additional surplus water for February only will be
delivered providing an equivalent reduction is made in deliveries
later in the year. If water supply conditions improve sufficiently
during the remainder of the runoff period, additional requests
for surplus water may be approved.

If precipitation the remainder of this year is below
normal and next year's water supply is below normal as well,
the project will still be able to meet its contractual
commitments.

One unusual situation in the State Water Project
service area is in the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District.
In wet years much of the land in this district is subject to
flooding when the runoff from the Kings, Kaweah, and Tule Rivers
are high. In exceptional years the Kern River also contributes
to the flooding of the area. Thus, much of the district land
usable for agricultural production is unavailable during part of
those years. Conversally, during dry years most of the land is
available for cultivation the entire year and water requirements
are at a maximum. Thus, demand for Project water increases sign-
ificantly in the drier years. In 1972, the State Water Project
was able to supply a large amount of additional water.

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