SACRAMENTO – The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced increases of northern California water to be delivered to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness interests, but both the state of California and fishery conservation groups say the increase will reduce the amount of cold water needed to sustain migrating Sacramento River Chinook Salmon.
The Bureau of Reclamation said it is increasing Central Valley Project 2026 water supply allocations for south-of-Delta contractors “following continued modest improvements in reservoir storage and spring runoff conditions across California’s water system.”
“This allocation update reflects improved operational flexibility and hydrologic conditions resulting from April storm activity, strong carryover storage, and coordinated reservoir management efforts that allowed water managers to capture additional runoff while continuing to meet environmental and flood control requirements,” according to an announcement from Reclamation: whttps://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/5338…