Despite predictions of an average or above average rain year on
the way, the latest San Benito County Water District Annual
Groundwater Report for 2009 suggests that water supplies will
remain tight in San Benito County in the next year.
Despite predictions of an average or above average rain year on the way, the latest San Benito County Water District Annual Groundwater Report for 2009 suggests that water supplies will remain tight in San Benito County in the next year.
“In the near term, everything should be about the same as far as demand,” said Dale Rosskamp, the deputy district engineer with the San Benito County Water Distict.
In 2009, San Benito County water allocations from the Central Valley Project were reduced by 10 percent for agriculture uses and 60 percent for municipal and industrial uses due to a Federal Court decision to protect the Delta smelt.
A federal court decision requires CVP staff to do no harm to Delta fish species such as the Delta smelt, longfin smelt, green sturgeon, Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead. The local allocation for 2010 will depend on rainfall and storage in CVP reservoirs, San Joaquin River flows in the Delta area and the abundance of the fish next spring.
In 2009, the amount of groundwater pumped did increase, but it was at least 20 percent below previous years.
“Current groundwater storage is sufficient to accommodate several successive dry years with negative water budgets, and the capacity for groundwater recovery in subsequent we years is sufficient to balance moderate increases in groundwater pumping without causing long-term overdraft,” according to the report.
“Overall, even though things are not good with not getting the CVP water, it is not dire,” Rosskamp said. “We have reserves that we can tap into and we are working on projects to augment needs.”
In addition to the restrictions, California has been in a drought for three years.
For the full story see the Pinnacle on Friday.
