California To Sue Federal Government Over Source Water Allocation
California has historically had its fair share of water scarcity issues, with pervasive drought and a booming population combining to put undue strain on supplies. Now, the state is set for a legal standoff with the federal government over how its water resources are allocated.
“California officials said … they will sue the federal government over proposed rules managing the state’s scarce water, arguing its conclusions are not scientifically adequate and fall short of protecting species and the state’s interest,” according to the Associated Press. “The state, which has historically relied on the federal government to set rules, is proposing its own rules governing the State Water Project, which captures and stores water originating in the Sierra Nevada and delivers it to 27 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central and Southern California.”
California’s State Water Project is a water resources management initiative under the supervision of the California Department of Water Resources, which collects water from Northern California and redistributes it throughout the state.
In October 2019, the federal government proposed new rules for the State Water Project that would deliver more water to farmers, even though environmental advocates warn that this would imperil some endangered species of fish. So, California’s Department of Water Resources has proposed its own rules.
“The California Department of Water Resources announced an initial State Water Project allocation of 10 percent for the 2020 calendar year [amounting to 427,167 acre-feet of water],” Lake County News reported. “The initial allocation is based on several factors, such as conservative dry hydrology, reservoir storage, and releases necessary to meet water supply and environmental demands.”
In addition, the state-based allocations reportedly include extra protections for the environment and native species.
“Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Lisa Lien-Mager said the new rules give the state Department of Fish and Wildlife authority to stop the increased pumping if it determines it would violate the Endangered Species Act,” per AP. “She also said the plan would set aside 200,000 acre-feet of water to offset the additional pumping impacts in the [Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta].”
It was not immediately clear how a California-led lawsuit against federal allocation of its water would proceed. In any case, there’s a clear dichotomy between how federal regulators want Californians to use their water and how its state-level lawmakers want it to be used.
To read more about how states and the federal government allocate water resources, visit Water Online’s Source Water Solutions Center.