News Release Archive

Reclamation updates 2020 Central Valley Project water allocation for Friant Division

Media Contact: Mary Lee Knecht, 916-978-5100, mknecht@usbr.gov

For Release: April 21, 2020

Friant Dam (Reclamation photo by John Bohrman)SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the Bureau of Reclamation updated the water supply allocation for Friant Division Central Valley Project contracts for the 2020 contract year. The Friant Division provides water for 15,000 family farms and several cities in the Central Valley.

This is the second update to the 2020 Central Valley Project water allocation for Friant Division this year. Initial allocations were made on February 25. Reclamation increased the allocation from 20% to 40% for Class 1 water supply on April 6.

Many factors are involved in making water supply allocation adjustments, including the latest hydrologic information, operational conditions in both the Upper San Joaquin River Basin and at Millerton Reservoir, as well as canal schedules from Friant Division contractors

"The storm events that occurred on April 4-6 brought another welcome bout of showers to the Central Sierra Nevada. This is fortunate for our Friant contractors and has enabled us to make an additional increase to their 2020 water supply allocation," said Michael Jackson, manager of Reclamation's South-Central California Area Office.

Friant Division contractors' water supply develops in the Upper San Joaquin River Basin Watershed and is delivered from Millerton Lake through Friant Dam to the Madera Canal and Friant-Kern Canal. Friant Division water supply is divided into two classifications: Class 1 and Class 2. The first 800,000 acre-feet of available water supply is considered Class 1. Class 2 is considered the next amount of available water supply up to 1.4 million acre-feet. Given the current hydrologic conditions, Reclamation is increasing the Class 1 allocation from 40% to 55%; Class 2 remains at 0%.

As the water year progresses and conditions change, water supply updates may be made as appropriate. Updates are posted at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp-water/index.html.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.