CVP Archives – Byron-Bethany Irrigation District

CVP Allocation Increased; Coalition Calls for Modernized Process to Maximize Deliveries

n.janes — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:58:26 +0000

(April 2026) — Amid a growing bipartisan call to modernize federal water allocation practices, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has increased its 2026 Central Valley Project (CVP) water supply allocation for south-of-Delta agricultural contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) from 15% to 20%.

The increase reflects modest hydrologic improvements following late winter storms, while also highlighting ongoing conversations among lawmakers and water users about how allocation decisions are made and communicated.

For growers and water users in BBID’s CVP Service Area, the updated allocation provides incremental relief. Reclamation stated that the increase is based on improved reservoir storage, snowpack, and runoff forecasts, while emphasizing the need to remain cautious amid an extended dry period.

In a March 23 letter, a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers encouraged Reclamation to continue advancing its allocation process by incorporating more real-time data, improved forecasting tools, and more frequent updates. The letter notes that current methodologies can rely on data that is several weeks old, which may not fully capture rapidly changing conditions such as atmospheric river events.

Lawmakers emphasized that timely and accurate allocation information is critical for growers making decisions about planting, financing, and operations, as well as for water districts planning budgets, infrastructure, and long-term reliability.

BBID’s Warren Act contract remains in place to help ensure grower demands within the Plain View Service Area can be met.

“We’re encouraged to see the allocation increase to 20%, and it reflects improving conditions,” said BBID General Manager Ed Pattison. “At the same time, this year highlights the importance of continuing to refine the allocation process. More timely and data-driven updates would give growers and water agencies greater certainty as they make important decisions throughout the season.”

Reclamation is expected to continue updating allocations as conditions evolve throughout the water year.

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BBID Receives Initial 2026 CVP Water Supply Allocation

n.janes — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:31:40 +0000

(March 2026) — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has issued its initial 2026 Central Valley Project (CVP) water supply allocations. For growers and water users in BBID’s CVP Service Area, the initial 15% allocation for south-of-Delta contractors provides an early, cautiously encouraging indication of this year’s supply outlook.

The initial allocation is as follows:

Plain View (agricultural): 2,922 acre-feet
West Side (agricultural): 375 acre-feet
Total agricultural supply: 3,297 acre-feet (15% of contracted amount)
Municipal & Industrial (M&I): 729 acre-feet (65% of historic use, or public health and safety needs, whichever is greater)

These allocations are expected to be updated as the water year progresses. Prior to the recent storms, statewide snowpack measured approximately 59% of the historical average. The most recent precipitation has not yet been factored into the current allocation. Reclamation anticipates issuing an updated allocation during the third week of March.

BBID’s Warren Act contract remains in place to help ensure grower demands within the Plain View Service Area can be met.

“We are cautiously optimistic about the hydrologic outlook,” said BBID General Manager Ed Pattison. “The recent snowfall and runoff should provide a more complete supply picture once fully evaluated later this month.”

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Reclamation Announces Initial CVP Allocation, “Maximizing Water Supplies”

n.janes — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 20:37:14 +0000

Sacramento, CA (February 25) – The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR or Reclamation) announced on Tuesday increased water supply allocations for the Central Valley Project (CVP).

Reclamation issued an initial water supply allocation of 35% for South-of-Delta CVP contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID), and an initial 75% allocation for its South-of-Delta Municipal and Industry (M&I) contractors, including those in the BBID’s service area.

The 35% South-of-Delta allocation is up from last year’s 15% allocation, with similar hydrological conditions. BBID is encouraged by the USBR’s initial action this year, but recognizes much remains to be done to properly balance the needs of California’s people, farms and the environment – and maximize the state’s ability to capture, store and distribute water supplies.

Below is a portion of Reclamation’s announcement, which can be read in full on its website:

The initial allocation to be provided to California farmers on the west side of the Central Valley south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta is more than twice what the initial allocation was in 2024, a year with similar hydrology. In addition, the Trump administration is investing more than $315.5 million to create new water storage at the future Sites Reservoir and at the existing San Luis Reservoir.

Reclamation, as directed through President Trump’s Executive Order 14181, has worked to maximize water supply, particularly for south-of-Delta contracts. Reclamation continues its dedicated efforts to deliver more water and produce more hydropower as a commitment to California farmers and communities. Reclamation will continue to maintain full pumping whenever possible at the Jones Pumping Plant to move water to parts of California where it is needed most and provides the greatest economic value to the entire country.

Water supply allocations are based on an estimate of water available for delivery and reflect current reservoir storage, precipitation, and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, as well as contractor-rescheduled water from the last water year.

“Recent atmospheric rivers and the good condition of most of our reservoirs going into this water year have benefited our water supply outlook; however, the San Joaquin Basin has experienced critically dry conditions this winter,”said California-Great Basin Regional Director Karl Stock. “Initial allocations reflect this significant variation across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.”

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UPDATE: Record Winter Leads to 100% Water Allocation, Delays Start of Irrigation Season

n.janes — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 04:16:02 +0000

Byron, CA (April 21, 2023) – On the heels of a record-setting winter and a historic Sierra snowpack topping 200% of normal in many locations, the irrigation season in the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) service area is underway. The season began in early April, delayed by wet weather that continued well into spring.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in April issued an updated water supply allocation of 100% for its South-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors, including BBID. The initial allocation was set at 35%, then was increased to 80% in March before the full allocation announcement. Continued snowfall and subsequent runoff this winter boosted Lake Shasta from 59% to 81% of normal, and San Luis Reservoir from 64% to 97%.

It was just one year ago that Reclamation issued an initial 0% allocation for South-of-Delta contractors amid ongoing drought and declining reservoir levels.

“We are grateful for Mother Nature providing much-needed relief for our CVP growers,” said BBID General Manager Edwin Pattison. “Four times in the last decade, South-of-Delta CVP contractors like BBID have received a 0% allocation, putting incredible strain on growers and ranchers in BBID’s CVP service area. Still, we hope that the sudden shift in hydrology does not distract from the very real need for regulatory reform,” Pattison continued.

“If these boom-or-bust weather patterns are our new normal, we must adapt,” said BBID Board President Tim Maggiore. “We must invest in our aging water systems and build new storage to capture water supplies when they’re abundant, for times when they are not.”

The District continues to work with its local, regional and state partners in exploring regulatory solutions that balance the needs of California’s cities, agriculture, and environment.

Additionally, Reclamation increased its allocation for its South-of-Delta Municipal and Industry (M&I) contractors to 100%, including those in the BBID’s service area.

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Dwindling Snowpack, Regulations Lead to Zero CVP Water for Growers

n.janes — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 21:36:14 +0000

Sacramento, CA (February 23, 2022) – On the heels of record-low precipitation in January and February, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) issued an initial water supply allocation of 0% for South-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID).

Exceptionally dry conditions have returned to the Sierra after record snowfall in late fall and early winter. The statewide snowpack is dwindling, CVP reservoirs are low, and the long-range forecast promises little relief.

“The allocation announcement is disappointing because it represents another significant challenge for our growers in the District’s CVP Service Area,” said BBID Board President Russell Kagehiro. “We understand Reclamation is constrained not only by Mother Nature, but by regulatory obligations imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board that we believe disproportionally and ineffectively prioritize the needs of the environment over our state’s food supply.”

“This is the fourth time in the last decade that South-of-Delta CVP contractors have received a 0% allocation,” said BBID General Manager Rick Gilmore. “As we have said time and again, the lack of available water during times of drought underscores the need to invest in our aging water systems and enact collaborative policy to ensure a sustainable water supply. If this is our new normal, we must adapt.”

The District is joining its local, regional and state partners in exploring regulatory solutions that balance the needs of California’s cities, agriculture and environment, while simultaneously pursuing additional water supplies for growers in BBID’s CVP Service Area.

Reclamation also announced an initial 25% allocation for its South-of-Delta Municipal and Industry (M&I) contractors, including those in the BBID’s service area. Reclamation will continue to evaluate hydrologic conditions as the year progresses and may announce changes as conditions warrant.

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Lawsuit Endangers Reliable Water and Food Supply

n.janes — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 06:39:12 +0000

Byron, CA (June 11, 2021) – Legal action initiated by a coalition of California environmental interest groups could disrupt reliable water supplies for nearly 100 water purveyors from Shasta Lake to Sacramento, across the Central Valley, Silicon Valley, and beyond.

In a recent court filing, Restore the Delta, Planning and Conservation League and the Center for Biological Diversity, who had already sued the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the United States Department of Interior, named nearly 100 Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID), as defendants. The complaint seeks to invalidate, without cause, CVP water contracts that are foundational to California’s water supply, especially for its agricultural industry that provides more than half of the nation’s fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

The heart of the plantiffs’ case is the “conversion” of CVP contracts from “long-term” or “interim renewal” contracts, which Reclamation would renew upon expiration, to permanent contracts. BBID acted in good faith utilizing a provision in federal legislation known as the WIIN Act to convert its CVP contracts to repayment contracts, carrying a perpetual term. The purpose of the conversion simply allows BBID, and other CVP contractors, to immediately repay Reclamation a debt obligation; it does not alter the operation of the CVP or the quantity of water that a contractor is entitled to receive. BBID’s conversion was a common-sense, financially prudent move benefitting the District’s agricultural growers in San Joaquin County.

So, what’s the sticking point? Environmental interests argue Reclamation was legally obligated to perform an intensive ecological review before it converted BBID’s and other contractors’ CVP contracts. And because Reclamation didn’t do so, the complaint argues, those contracts violate the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Here’s the reality. The WIIN Act directs Reclamation to execute these contract conversions when a contractor requests it. In other words, federal law mandates these contract conversions. In any event, the prospect of a lengthy, expensive, and ultimately redundant review process (when other than the method of payment, the substantive contract obligations do not change) is a poor use of taxpayer resources.

The complaint further argues that the new contracts essentially guarantee a CVP contractor its full supply. In fact, prior to execution of the new contracts, Reclamation rarely provided a 100% allocation to its CVP contractors due to a host of hydrological, regulatory, and environmental factors. For example, BBID endured three consecutive years of a 0% allocation during the last drought. This reality will not change with execution of the new contracts. This year, under the new repayment contracts, BBID’s initial 5% allocation for irrigation was first suspended, and now eliminated altogether in the wake of our second straight dry winter. This year, water for municipal and industrial purposes has been drastically reduced from 55% to 25%.

We all recognize the great challenges ahead. Instead of lawsuits like these, we must focus on finding common ground and funding meaningful, multi-benefit solutions that balance the beneficial uses of California’s water supply and protect our environmental resources in the face of of diminishing supplies and increasing demand.

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Water Supply Cuts Demonstrate Need for Long-Term Investments, Solutions

n.janes — Fri, 28 May 2021 05:39:55 +0000

Sacramento, CA (May 28, 2021) – In the midst of worsening drought conditions, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on Wednesday announced deeper water supply cuts for farms and communities, including those served by the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID).

The initial 2021 Central Valley Project (CVP) allocation for south-of-Delta CVP contractors including BBID was first set at 5% and then suspended until further notice. Reclamation announced the allocation has been eliminated altogether. The allocation for M&I water service contractors was also reduced from 55% to 25%.

BBID General Manager Rick Gilmore said in response:

“We recognize the difficultly Reclamation faces in fulfilling Central Valley Project water deliveries in a critically dry year. It yet again underscores the need for significant regulatory reform and diverse, meaningful engagement from federal and state leadership.

It also demands substantial investments to mitigate the very real short-term impacts to our growers in San Joaquin County and other communities impacted by a 0% CVP allocation, as well as for long-term sustainable solutions to bolster our resilience against this drought – and the next, and the one after that.

Between the October 2020 to May 2021, nearly 3.3 million Acre Feet of water passed through the Delta and flowed out to the Golden Gate Bridge – two thirds of the Delta inflow. Had we been able to capture even a small fraction of that water, it would have dramatically improved the situation we find ourselves in today.

We missed the opportunity to do so because of outdated environmental policies that have proven ineffective for restoring declining fish populations, and due to a lack of progress on building and expanding storage facilities to store water when it’s abundant, for dry years exactly like this.

We must work together in the months and years to come to reshape the CVP – its critical infrastructure, and the regulations that govern it – in order to meet the needs of our communities and provide reliable water for agriculture.”

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Updated CVP Allocation Announced; Water Unavailable Until Further Notice

n.janes — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 23:35:14 +0000

Sacramento, CA (March 23, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) updated the water allocation for South-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID). Reclamation kept its initial 5% allocation in place, but suspended availability of that water until further notice. BBID General Manager Rick Gilmore issued the following statement:

“We recognize that California is in the midst of extraordinary dry conditions, forcing Reclamation to take a measured approach to balancing regulatory and contractual obligations for the Central Valley Project.

Today’s announcement unfortunately creates additional uncertainty and financial strain on growers in BBID’s CVP Service Area. The time to purchase crop insurance has come and gone, and crops are already in the ground.

The District will pursue water transfers to meet the needs of our growers, albeit at a much higher cost than CVP water.

We appreciate the Bureau’s commitment to preserve its initial allocation as hydrology continues to worsen. Our second straight dry winter — punctuated by a lack of significant snowfall during the month of March — makes it all the more challenging to meet the complex, diverse water needs of the state.”

Reclamation’s announcement preserves the allocation announced in February, but delays access to that water.

California’s Department of Water Resources also reduced the allocation for State Water Project Contractors from 10 percent to 5 percent.

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Dry Winter, Low Water Allocation Demand Long-Term Solutions

n.janes — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 08:36:13 +0000

Sacramento, CA (February 23, 2021) – In the midst of persistently dry winter weather, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) today announced an initial 5% Central Valley Project (CVP) allocation for South-of-Delta CVP contractors, including the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID). The current statewide snowpack average is hovering just above 50%.

“We wish the initial allocation were higher, but we recognize the difficult position Reclamation is in given the lack of precipitation,” said BBID General Manager Rick Gilmore. “In recent years, we have seen two extremes of California weather: record drought and record-setting rain and snow. Meeting the water needs of our growers – and the state – is a problem best solved with flexible, multi-year resource management based on our latest science.”

“It demands investment in the upkeep and restoration of our critical water facilities, in the enhancement of our ability to store water when it’s plentiful for the next drought we know is coming, and in common sense policy that removes bureaucratic hurdles,” Gilmore continued.

The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA), which represents 27 member agencies including BBID, joined the call for sustainable solutions. SLDMWA members provide water service to approximately 1,200,000 acres of irrigated agriculture, 2 million people, and 130,000 acres of wetlands within the western San Joaquin Valley, San Benito and Santa Clara counties.

“Healthy and sustainable food production is a national security issue and the Authority’s member agencies serve the urban and agricultural communities that grow a significant portion of the nation’s plate,” said SLDMWA Executive Director Federico Barajas. “As a community, region, state and country, we need to work collaboratively to improve the resilience of California’s water system in a balanced way, particularly with the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Authority staff will continue to work with Reclamation and its member agencies to analyze hydrologic conditions in hopes the allocation can be increased as early as practicable.”

In a news release, Reclamation said it will continue to monitor hydrology as the water year progresses, looking for opportunities for operational flexibility.

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Key CVP Issues Detailed in New Report

n.janes — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:50:28 +0000

Today, the Congressional Research Service released its updated report on the Central Valley Project (CVP).

The full report, which details the latest perspectives on CVP issues including constraints on water deliveries, ecosystem restoration efforts, new storage and conveyance, and legislation, is below.

R45342

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