In addition to the Agency’s allotment (Table A amount) from the State Water Project, the Agency has procured other sources of water, as identified below.
Yuba Water. The Agency is a signatory to the Yuba Accord, an agreement among many water districts in California and the Department of Water Resources that enable the signatories to obtain additional supplies from Yuba County in most years. The Agency receives an average of 200-300 acre-feet per year from this source, enough water for 400-600 families.
San Bernardino Valley MWD Water. The Agency has signed an agreement with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District to obtain up to 5,000 acre-feet of additional supplies in years in which the District declares a surplus. This would typically be in a wet year. This source allows the Agency to import and store more water in wet years, when it is available and cheaper, to prepare for drought years. This agreement points out the importance of water storage to the region.
Delta Conveyance refers to State Water Project (SWP) infrastructure in the vast network of waterways comprising the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) that collects and moves fresh affordable water to homes, farms and businesses throughout major regions of the state from the Bay Area to southern California. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is the owner and operator of the SWP and is responsible for all associated upgrades and maintenance, including the proposed Delta Conveyance Project that will modernize SWP conveyance. Click here to read more.
Sites Reservoir is the only proposed storage facility in the State of California that will help with statewide operational effectiveness of the State Water Project. Click here to read more.
Nickel Water. The Agency, concerned about the decreasing reliability of the State Water Project, contracted for a new supply in 2017, after five consecutive years of drought. This supply is a 20-year supply of 100% reliable water from the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency (AVEK). Its original source is a riparian right to Kern River water from Nickel Farms LLC. Since it originates south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it is 100% reliable. This water supply is 1700 acre-feet per year, enough water for approximately 3400 families each year. The Agency has leased this water through 2036, with an option to extend the lease beyond that if desired. This additional source has provided the Agency an opportunity to import more water over the past few years, and consequently to bank more water in the local groundwater basin, in preparation for the next drought.
