UPDATE on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed and Notice of Compliance and Responses Webpage

From the State Water Resources Control Board:

This announcement contains important information about the curtailment status of water rights and claims of right within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) watershed pursuant to orders that were issued on August 20, 2021 (Order for water rights/claims under 5,000 acre-feet and Order for water rights/claims over 5,000 acre-feet).  

This email also provides notice of a new Curtailment Compliance and Responses webpage that includes an interactive tracker and tables that summarize compliance and responses regarding curtailment and reporting orders.  Today is the deadline to submit the following forms associated with the August 20 Order:

1. Delta Watershed Human Health and Safety Certification Form – You should complete this form for each water right or claim for which you would like to certify an exception to curtailment to meet minimum human health and safety needs, irrespective of your current curtailment status. Exceptions to curtailment for minimum human health and safety needs should be certified when there are no alternative sources of water available.
2. Delta Watershed Non-Consumptive Use Certification Form – You should complete this form for each water right or claim for which you would like to certify an exception to curtailment for a non-consumptive use, irrespective of your current curtailment status.
3. Delta Watershed Enhanced Reporting of Prior Diversions and Projected Demands Form – This form should be completed for each water right or claim with a face value or reported diversions in 2018 or 2019 of 5,000 acre-feet or greater.  This form is only available to rights or claims for which this requirement applies.

If you received the August 20 Order and any of the forms above apply to your water right or claim, please log on to the Water Rights Form and Survey Submittal Portal using the credentials provided in the Order and complete the relevant forms as soon as possible.

There have been no changes to September curtailment statuses since August 27, 2021. Check the Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List for the current curtailment status of each water right and claim in the Delta watershed.

Although small amounts of precipitation are forecasted for portions of the Sacramento River watershed this weekend, this rainfall is not expected to meaningfully affect runoff in a manner that would affect curtailments.  In addition, though hydrologic conditions may be trending somewhat wetter than initial water supply forecasts for September, conditions remain very dry and current hydrologic conditions do not affect the current status of curtailments. The State Water Board will continue to closely monitor conditions and update curtailment status as appropriate based on those conditions.

The following priorities of water rights and claims remain curtailed for the month of September 2021, unless and until the State Water Board advises that this determination has been updated:

1. All post-1914 appropriative water rights in the San Joaquin River watershed;
2. All pre-1914 appropriative water right claims in the San Joaquin River watershed;
3. All riparian water right claims in the American River subwatershed upstream of Folsom Reservoir;
4. All riparian water right claims in the Calaveras River subwatershed that are outside of the Legal Delta;
5. A subset of Central Valley Project and State Water Project water rights in the Sacramento River watershed and in the Legal Delta; and
6. Pre-1914 claims and post-1914 appropriative rights on the following Sacramento River tributaries:
   1. Rights and claims in the Bear River subwatershed with a priority date of 1853 or later;
   2. Rights and claims in the Yuba River subwatershed with a priority date of 1908 or later;
   3. Rights and claims in the Putah Creek subwatershed with a priority date of 1923 or later;
   4. Rights and claims in the Cache Creek subwatershed with a priority date of 1857 or later; and
   5. Rights and claims in the Stony Creek subwatershed with a priority date of 1963 or later.

Curtailment statuses for October will be updated next week.

If you have any questions, you may send an email to Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov or call the Delta Drought phone line at (916) 319-0960.