From the State Water Board:
All curtailments under the August 20, 2021 curtailment orders (Order for water rights/claims under 5,000 acre-feet and Order for water rights/claims over 5,000 acre-feet) issued pursuant to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) Watershed Emergency Reporting and Curtailment Regulation remain temporarily suspended.
The reporting requirements identified in the August 20 Orders remain in place, as do other requirements that may be applicable for specific water rights and claims. The temporary suspension of curtailments is subject to change but is anticipated to last at least until the start of November. Water supply forecasts will continue to be evaluated regularly to determine if, when, and to what extent re-imposition of curtailments is appropriate, and updates will continue to be provided by email and web posting.
The decision to continue the temporary suspension of curtailments is based on water supply forecasts from the California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) that were updated on October 26, 2021. It is anticipated that available water supplies as a result of runoff from recent precipitation events will begin to decline soon and may result in re-imposition of curtailments. The 50% exceedance water supply forecast was evaluated to determine the temporary suspension of curtailments at this time, which will be reassessed next week (or earlier if appropriate) based on daily water supply observations and updated forecasts. Supply forecasts factor in anticipated precipitation and water supplies produced by associated runoff in the next seven days, while demand values are computed seven-day averages. Demand data informing curtailments continue to be based on reported diversions from 2018.
Suspension of curtailments should not be construed as a validation of water right claims or an authorization to divert. Existing constraints on water right permits and licenses, such as seasonal diversion restrictions and bypass flow requirements, remain in effect. In addition, all water right holders and claimants may only divert under valid water rights and are not authorized to divert if it would result in injury to other water users.
Water right holders and claimants are responsible for monitoring their curtailment status online on the Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List. Notice of changes to curtailment status will not be mailed. For those with limited internet access, a pre-recorded curtailment summary can be heard on the Delta Curtailment Status phone line at (916) 323-4643.
For more information about drought in the Delta watershed, please visit the Delta Drought webpage. For more information about curtailment compliance and responses to the August 20 Orders, please visit the Curtailment Compliance and Responses webpage. The Curtailment Compliance and Responses tracker is updated every Friday and can be filtered to see the latest changes. 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.
