For Immediate Release
Contact: pubaffairs@wwd.ca.gov
(559) 241-6233
Westlands Water District Responds to Initial Central Valley Project Water Allocation
Fresno, California – Today, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced an initial 15% allocation for Westlands Water District (District) and other south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) irrigation water service contractors.
In response to the initial allocation, Allison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District issued the following statement:
“We appreciate the Trump administration’s leadership on strengthening water reliability for the San Joaquin Valley and its recognition of the severity of the state’s water challenges. However, given recent storms that have lifted California out of drought, improved snowpack, and increased reservoir storage, a 15% water supply allocation does not reflect current hydrologic conditions and falls well short of what is needed to sustain the District’s nearly 700 family-owned farms that feed the world and support communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
Our farmers are among the most efficient water users in the world. Yet year after year, unreliable water supplies due to a broken water system and rigid water management regulations have led to fallowed farmland, lost jobs, and increased reliance on groundwater.
We remain committed to ensuring that hydrological improvements result in increased, updated allocation in the coming months. The District is unwavering in its commitment to collaboratively ensure California’s water system is managed in a way that reflects current science, maximizes beneficial use, and delivers reliability for both people and the environment.”
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About Westlands Water District
Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than seven decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.