DWR Third Snow Survey Results

California's snowpack is 107% of normal and water content 80% normal.

Compiled by staff

Published: Mar 9, 2010

Manual and electronic readings today indicate that water content in California's mountain snowpack is 107% of normal for the date. This time last year, snow water content statewide was 80% of normal.

"Today's readings boost our hope that we will be able to increase the State Water Project allocation by this spring to deliver more water to our cities and farms," says Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin. "But we must remember that even a wet winter will not fully offset three consecutive dry years or pumping restrictions to protect Delta fish so we must continue to conserve and protect our water resources."

Lake Oroville, the State Water Project's principal storage reservoir, is recovering slowly after three dry years. Despite recent storms, its storage level today is only 55% average for this time of year. It is also expected that dry soil conditions will absorb much of the snowpack's water content that otherwise would help to replenish streams and reservoirs during the spring and early summer melt.

On February 26, the State Water Project allocation was increased from 5 to 15% of requested amounts. If wet weather continues, the final allocation this spring likely will be in the range of 35-45% of requested amounts. The figure will partially be determined by how the fishery agency restrictions on pumping are applied, which will determine how much flexibility DWR has to export water from the Delta.

In 2009, the State Water Project delivered 40% of customer requests. The federal Central Valley Project in 2009 was only able to deliver 10% of contracted amounts to some agricultural areas in the San Joaquin Valley. The reduced deliveries were due both to dry weather and fishery agency pumping restrictions to protect fish species; principally Delta smelt, salmon, and longfin smelt.

The average of final State Water Project allocations over the past 10 years has been 68% of the amount requested by the 29 public agencies with long-term contracts to purchase SWP water.