Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after the Bureau of Reclamation announced an update to the Central Valley Project’s 2013 water supply allocation. Agriculture saw its allocation drop from 25 percent to 20 percent, while municipal and industrial users see a decrease from 75 percent to 70 percent.

“A water allocation of 20 percent for South-of-Delta farmers is a crippling blow to California’s farm community. This is the second very low allocation since 2009, so it should be clear that California needs to store water from the wet years for the dry years. Any water bond put on the ballot must have a strong storage component. Absent that, California will be in deep trouble with respect to water.

“With respect to this 20 percent allocation, all I can say is it’s devastating. In 2010 we were able to work out—thanks to the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, water contractors and the state—an additional 150,000 acre feet. I encourage Interior and Reclamation to follow that same formula this year. The water allocation must be increased if California farmers are going to be able to produce.”

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