State Water Board Drought Year Water Actions 2014-2017

Notices of Water Availability (Curtailment AND EMERGENCY REGULATIONS)

The right to divert surface water in California is based on the type of right being claimed and the priority date. Water right permits specify the season of use, purpose of use and place of use for the quantity of water authorized under the permit or license. In times of drought and limited supply, the most recent (“junior”) right holder must be the first to discontinue use. Even more senior water right holders, such as some riparian and pre-1914 water right holders may also receive a notice to stop diverting water if their diversions are downstream of reservoirs releasing stored water and there is no natural flow available for diversion. In the coming weeks and months, if dry weather conditions persist, the State Water Board will notify certain water right holders in critically dry watersheds of the requirement to stop diverting water under their water right, based on their priority. These notices will be posted below.

2017 WATER YEAR   (October 2016 - September 2017)

GENERAL

  • Scott River Watershed. On October 24, 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board issued a Notice of Available Water to Divert for Junior Priority Class Rights Specified in the the Scott River Decree in Siskiyou County. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage.
  • Term 91.  On October 14, 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board issued a Notice of Immediate Lifting of Curtailment to permit and license holders having Term 91 as a condition of their water right. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage.

2016 WATER YEAR   (October 2015 - September 2016)

GENERAL

2015 WATER YEAR   (October 2014 - September 2015)

GENERAL

  • Re-adoption of Informational Orders. On December 17, 2015, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the Emergency Regulation re-adopted by the State Water Board for issuing Informational Orders, Resolution No. 2015-0075.
  • New! Scott River watershed. On December 10, 2015, water is now available for diversion for all junior priority class rights. This release is based on precipitation and flow estimates forecasted by the National Weather Service and will remain in effect until further notice.
  • Sacramento and San Joaquin River watershed and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The original November 2nd notice referenced below has since been updated on November 6th.
  • Sacramento and San Joaquin River watershed and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As of November 2, 2015, water is now available for diversion for all post-1914 appropriative water right holders on the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This is a potentially temporary diversion opportunity as the result of recent storm activity.
  • Sacramento and San Joaquin River watershed and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As of November 2, 2015, water is now available for diversion for all post-1914 appropriative water right holders on the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This is a potentially temporary diversion opportunity as the result of recent storm activity. 
  • Sacramento River watershed and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As of October 30, 2015, water is now available for diversion by pre-1927 appropriative water right holders on the Sacramento River watershed and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The list of pre-1927 water right holders released under this notice is available here.
  • Yuba, American and San Joaquin River watersheds. On October 27, 2015, water is now available for diversion by senior water right holders on the Yuba, American and San Joaquin River watersheds. Water shortage notifications remain in effect for post-1914 water right holders in the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Scott River watersheds as well as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
  • Sacramento, Feather River and Delta watersheds. On September 18, 2015, water is now available for diversion by senior water right holders on the Sacramento, Feather River and Delta. Water shortage notifications remain in effect for pre-1914 water right holders in the Yuba, American and San Joaquin river watersheds, as well as for all post-1914 rights on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River watersheds and Delta. The list of affected parties is available here.
  • Sacramento, San Joaquin, Delta and Scott River watersheds. On July 15, 2015, the Executive Director issued a clarification notice to all parties who received a notice of water unavailability in April through June of this year.  The clarification notice addresses the recent Sacramento Superior court decision regarding the content of the previous notice.  The State Water Board has prepared a fact sheet in anticipation of likely questions regarding the clarification notice.  All parties and associated rights who were issued the July 15th notice can be found on the following mailing list.
  • Upper San Joaquin & Merced River. On June 26, 2015, the Executive Director issued a curtailment notice for pre-1914 appropriative claims in the Upper San Joaquin River and to pre-1914 appropriative claims in the Merced River with a priority date commencing on or after 1858. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage. See the mailing list for the curtailment notice.
  • City & County of San Francisco. On June 26, 2015, the Executive Director issued a clarification letter for some pre-1914 appropriative claims held by the City & County of San Francisco on the Tuolumne River.
  • Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. On June 16, 2015, the Executive Director issued a clarification letter to Delta diverters claiming both a riparian and pre-1914 right that while their pre-1914 right has been curtailed (1903+ priority only), they may still exercise their riparian claim. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage.
  • Sacramento-San Joaquin & Delta Watersheds. June 12, 2015, the Executive Director issued a curtailment notice for pre-1914 appropriative claims in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River & Delta watersheds with a 1903 or later priority date. The conditions at time of the June 12th notice are shown here. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage. See the mailing list for the curtailment notice.
  • Summary of Curtailed Water Rights - 2015
  • UPDATE: Deer Creek. On June 2, 2015, the State Water Board issued a Notice of Deer Creek Juvenile Salmonid Pulse Flow Scheduled to Begin Immediately, Followed by Suspension of Order WR 2015-0019-DWR. As specified in the Notice, the State Water Board has scheduled a Deer Creek juvenile pulse flow, to begin immediately and continue through June 3, 2015 at 8:00PM, followed by suspension of Order WR 2015-0019-DWR on June 3, 2015 at 8:00PM. A pulse flow ramp down period may begin on June 3, 2015 at 8:00 AM. Curtailments of those diverting water in the Sacramento River Watershed with a Post-1914 Appropriative Right remain in effect.
  • Antelope Creek Watershed. On May 29, 2015, the State Water Board issued a Notice of Suspension of Order WR-2015-0017-DWR. Curtailments of those diverting water in the Sacramento River Watershed with Post-1914 Appropriative Right remain in effect.
  • Sacramento River Watershed. May 1, 2015, the Executive Director issued a curtailment notice for all post-1914 water rights in the Sacramento River watershed. The conditions at time of the May 1st notice are shown here.  Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage. See the mailing list for the curtailment notice.
  • Term 91. On April 30, 2015, the Deputy Director for the Division of Water Rights issued a curtailment notice to the holders of 88 water rights in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed with Term 91 as a condition of their permit or license. On October 2, 2015, the Deputy Director for the Division of Water Rights issued a curtailment notice to an additional 11 holders of water rights in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed with Term 91 as a condition of their permit or license. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage. See the mailing list for the curtailment notices.
  • San Joaquin River Watershed. On April 23, 2015, the Executive Director issued a curtailment notice for all post-1914 water rights in the San Joaquin River watershed. The conditions at time of the April 23rd notice are shown here.  Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage. See the mailing list for the curtailment notice.
  • Scott River Watershed. On April 23, 2015, the Executive Director issued a curtailment notice for all junior priority class rights in the Scott River watershed subject to Decree No. 30662. Current curtailment information is available on the Watershed Analysis webpage.
  • Deer Creek Watershed. On April 17, 2015, the Deputy Director for the Division of Water Rights issued Order WR 2015-0019-DWR with Attachment A: Curtailment Order in the Matter of Diversion of Water from Deer Creek. Current curtailment information is available on the Mill, Deer and Antelope Creeks Curtailment webpage.
  • On March 30, 2015, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the 2015 Emergency Regulation for Insufficient Flows for Specific Fisheries in Mill, Deer, and Antelope Creeks and it is now in effect. The OAL Notice of Approval and comment letters to OAL are available on the Emergency Regulation Development page.
  • On March 17, 2015, the State Water Board Re-adopted the 2015 Emergency Regulation for issuing Information Orders, Resolution No. 2015-0015
  • Water Availability Planning Tool for Specific Watersheds (01/30/15)
  • Notice of Probable Curtailment of Water Diversion During 2015, Term 91 (02/13/15)
  • Statewide Notice of Potential Future Curtailment (01/23/15)
  • Fact Sheets – Water Rights Holders Likely to Face Curtailment in: 2015 | 2014

  • If you have received a Curtailment Notice or Curtailment Order and have questions, please call (916) 341-5342.
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Curtailment

  • Clarification Regarding the use of Previously Stored Water by Water Right Holders Receiving Curtailment Notices
    Staff continues to receive questions regarding whether the use of water, previously stored under a water right, is subject to curtailment. The State Water Board’s curtailment of water rights does not limit the use of water previously stored in a pond or reservoir. Therefore, uses of previously stored water authorized by a permit, license, registration or certificate can continue. The curtailment notice restricts the water right holder’s ability to directly divert water or to collect water to storage, including to refill storage space lost to beneficial use.

WATERSHEDS AFFECTED

Curtailments for the 2015 water year have begun. The following is a brief summary of the curtailments that have been issued to date and the anticipated curtailments yet to be issued.

Curtailments Issued:

Curtailments Upcoming:

  • Sacramento-San Joaquin River watershed and Delta: riparian rights under review

Areas on Watch for Watershed Curtailment:

2014 WATER YEAR   (October 2013 - September 2014)

GENERAL

WATERSHEDS AFFECTED

Temporary Curtailment Releases have begun. Please see below for news on your watershed.