BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — California’s Water Resource Board approved temporary changes to the Delta water outflow protecting endangered salmon and other fish. These changes triggered by recents storms and a higher runoff.
These changes resulting in the Department of Water Resources increasing water allocation from 30% to 35% until March 31.
While more water is always welcomed news, Kern County farmer Jason Giannelli says this is a small step in the right direction.
“It's a good thing, obviously, but it should have happened sooner,” he said. “It’s obviously going to have an impact, but we still have reservoirs south of the Delta that aren’t even at 100% capacity. So we have all these different water banking areas that we could put that water [in].”
Jenny Holtermann with the Water Association of Kern County says this water will help in getting our local reservoirs and charging ponds filled but conservation is still a top priority.
“We haven’t received our full allocations from the state in over 20 years. So we have to start thinking of it like that, if we’re not given the water we were once given,” she said.
The state has recently been rebuked by some for allowing water from the delta to runoff into the ocean in favor of environmental protections of the Delta fish.
“When we built the state water project, it was to help us take water where it was plentiful and move it throughout the state to areas where it was needed, allowing more water to flow through the delta is critical,” said 32nd District Assemblyman Vince Fong.
In a statement the Department of Water Resources said:
“Earlier this month, DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation submitted a Temporary Urgency Change Petition (TUCP) to the State Water Resources Control Board requesting approval to modify a single compliance point for Delta water quality conditions specified in their water right permits, while proposing measures to avoid impacts on Delta smelt. All other endangered species protections in those permits remain in place.
This action allows DWR and Reclamation to move and retain more stormwater and runoff in the state’s reservoirs in preparation for continued dry periods in the spring and summer. Water preserved in Lake Oroville specifically will allow for additional flexibility for fish protections and water supply needs.”
Giannelli says these temporary changes can be risky for farmers who may not have the time to sow the rewards of more water.
“There’s always a risk factor in farming, and if they come out, let's say in April and say you're going to get 60% percent of your water allocation, for some guys that’s a little late to start planting anything or get ground prepped," he said.
