Ag Alert. February 22, 2023

Governor’s executive order seeks to replenish reservoirs

Gov. Gavin Newsom added some flex- ibility to California’s water system last week, in signing an executive order that suspends environmental laws to allow state water officials to hold more water in reservoirs. The order comes after the governor received criticism from farm groups and others for allowing uncaptured water from atmospheric storms to flow into the ocean. The governor’s Feb. 13 executive or- der comes during a drier than average February and follows one of the wettest three-week January periods on record, with storms yielding a snowpack at 205% of average on Feb. 1. Anticipating a return to unseasonably dry conditions during the remaining weeks of the state’s wet season, the gov- ernor’s office said he signed the order to protect the water supplies from impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather. This year follows dry conditions expe- rienced in 2021, which led to the driest January to March period in more than 100 years in 2022. Between October 2021 and September 2022, statewide precipitation was 76% of average, and reservoir storage was at 69% of average. Newsom’s executive order authoriz- es the California State Water Resources

Control Board to “consider modifying” state requirements that dictate how much water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is allowed to flow into the San Francisco Bay. The order means it is likely that the state water board will allow more water to be stored behind reservoirs such as in Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, the state’s largest reservoirs. In addition, more water may be pumped into San Luis Reservoir, which is jointly used by the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Soon after the order was announced, the California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation jointly petitioned the state water board to relax the delta flow rules “to ensure the availabil- ity of an adequate water supply while also ensuring protection of critical species and the environment.” The executive order also aims to help expand the state’s capacity to capture storm runoff in wet years by facilitating groundwater recharge projects. The or- der said, “Capturing and storing storm and snowpack runoff underground to re- charge aquifers is an important strategy to help regions stabilize water supplies in the face of hydrologic extremes.” The order added that the state has streamlined permitting to enable ground- water recharge that augments natural

The San Luis Reservoir, shown here at 56% of capacity on Jan. 25 after the storm surge, reached 73% of capacity on Feb. 16. The governor’s executive order could enable more water storage.

aquifer recharge, while protecting the environment and other water users.” Additionally, the order directed agencies to review and provide recommendations on the state’s drought response actions by the end of April, including the possibility of terminating some emergency provisions that are no longer needed, once there is greater clarity about the hydrologic con- ditions this year. It includes provisions to protect water reserves to account for rain and snowfall absorbed by thirstier soils, vegetation and the atmosphere. The frequency of hydrologic extremes

experienced in California demonstrates the need to continually adapt to promote resiliency in a changing climate, the gover- nor’s office said. Leveraging the more than $8.6 bil- lion committed by the governor and the Legislature in the last two budget cycles to build water resilience, the state said it is taking action to prepare for the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather on the state’s water supplies. In the 2023-24 state budget, Newsom is proposing an addition- al $202 million for flood protection and $125 million for drought-related actions.

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February 22, 2023 Ag Alert 5

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