Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
CVP Growers Get 5% Boost in Irrigation Water
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 5 years ago on
May 20, 2020

Share

A wet April enabled the Bureau of Reclamation to bump irrigation deliveries to west-side Central Valley Project growers by 5% to 20% of their contracts, the federal agency said Tuesday.

In addition, Friant Division growers saw their Class 1 allocations also expand by 5% to 60% of their contract amounts. Their water comes from the Upper San Joaquin River Basin.

Welcome News for Valley Growers

As the 2019-20 water year has been marked by below-average precipitation, the modest boost was warmly greeted by San Joaquin Valley growers.

“The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority appreciates Reclamation’s ability to carefully strike a balance, given the challenging conditions,” said Federico Barajas, the authority’s executive director. “The reliability and quantity of surface water deliveries directly impact the amount of groundwater that is used to produce the food we eat and the water we drink.

“Today’s announcement of a water allocation increase has positive benefits for California communities and its environment and reduces the reliance on groundwater aquifers in the San Joaquin Valley.”

A spokeswoman for Westlands Water District said the agency was “supportive of the allocation increase.”

Conant: ‘Still Been Relatively Dry’

Reclamation regional director Ernest Conan said that April precipitation in northern California’s American River watershed led to the increased allocation for west-side CVP growers.

“Even with the recent gains in water supply, the year as a whole has still been relatively dry,” Conant said. “Reclamation will continue to monitor conditions and adjust accordingly. We urge our contractors to continue to exercise conservative use of the resource.”

As the water year progresses, federal officials said, changes in hydrology and opportunities to deliver additional water will influence future allocations. Water supply updates are posted at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp-water/index.html.

 

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Madera County Wildfire Prompts Evacuation Warnings, Road Closures

DON'T MISS

Sanger Police Seek Public’s Help to Find Missing Teen

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Everyone Should Immediately Evacuate Tehran

DON'T MISS

Inside Trump’s Extraordinary Turnaround on Immigration Raids

DON'T MISS

Trump Approval Steady at 42%, Support Weakens for His Immigration Policy, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

DON'T MISS

Person Rescued from Fresno Canal, Third Incident in Recent Days

DON'T MISS

Arias Dodges Questions About His False Fresno ICE Raid Claim

DON'T MISS

Iranian State TV Halts Live Broadcast After Israeli Strike

DON'T MISS

Global Markets Recover on Iran Ceasefire Reports, Central Banks in Focus

DON'T MISS

Madera Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years for Fentanyl, Meth Trafficking

UP NEXT

Sanger Police Seek Public’s Help to Find Missing Teen

UP NEXT

Person Rescued from Fresno Canal, Third Incident in Recent Days

UP NEXT

Arias Dodges Questions About His False Fresno ICE Raid Claim

UP NEXT

Fresno Murder Suspect Arrested in Madera County Following Shooting

UP NEXT

Fresno Stabbing Leads to 7-Hour SWAT Standoff and Arrest, Suspect Identified

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Make DUI Arrest, Cite 135 Drivers in Distracted Driving Crackdown

UP NEXT

Protester Killed at Utah ‘No Kings’ Rally Was Fashion Designer From ‘Project Runway’

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Norman James Walker

UP NEXT

Fresno Vehicle Fire Spreads to Garage, No Injuries Reported

UP NEXT

Visalia Stabbing Leaves Man Hospitalized, Suspect Sought

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Fed Keeps Rates Steady but Pencils in Two Cuts by End of 2025, Warns of Inflation Ahead

4 hours ago

Putin Says He Does Not Want to Discuss the Possible Israeli-US Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

5 hours ago

A Little Coffee With Your Whiskey? Downtown Fresno Gets New Craft Cocktail Lounge

6 hours ago

‘Any Illegal Immigrants?’ Trump Quizzes Workers at the White House

6 hours ago

What Is Juneteenth and When Did It Become a US Federal Holiday?

6 hours ago

US B-2 Bombers, Bunker-Busters and Alternatives

6 hours ago

US Social Security, Medicare to Run Short of Funds in 2033, Trustees Say

6 hours ago

Buss Family to Sell Lakers, Report Says

6 hours ago

Trump Administration Resuming Student Visa Appointments, Official Says

6 hours ago

Teen Girl Accused as Getaway Driver in Caleb Quick Murder Appears in Court

7 hours ago

Trump Faces Uproar From MAGA Base Over Possible Iran Strike

WASHINGTON – The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Do...

4 hours ago

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) hat as he attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
4 hours ago

Trump Faces Uproar From MAGA Base Over Possible Iran Strike

4 hours ago

Iran Would Accept Trump’s Offer to Meet Soon, New York Times Reports

4 hours ago

Meta in Talks to Hire Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman to Join AI Efforts, The Information Reports

4 hours ago

Fed Keeps Rates Steady but Pencils in Two Cuts by End of 2025, Warns of Inflation Ahead

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia June 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
5 hours ago

Putin Says He Does Not Want to Discuss the Possible Israeli-US Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

6 hours ago

A Little Coffee With Your Whiskey? Downtown Fresno Gets New Craft Cocktail Lounge

President Donald Trump talks about the new flag pole being installed on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday, June, 18, 2025. President Trump decided to check the immigration status of a work crew installing a new flagpole at the White House. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
6 hours ago

‘Any Illegal Immigrants?’ Trump Quizzes Workers at the White House

6 hours ago

What Is Juneteenth and When Did It Become a US Federal Holiday?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend