Farmers in California’s Fresno Irrigation District can schedule surface irrigation deliveries beginning April 1. Canals will begin filling soon in preparation for the deliveries.

District directors approved the move as almond bloom is over, and pistachio pollination is scheduled to soon begin. Deliveries are expected into July, according to FID General Manager Bill Stretch.

“We wanted to make this decision as early as possible to help our agricultural users make informed decisions,” Stretch said in a prepared statement.

Much of the district’s water comes from the Kings River watershed, which this year is running behind last year’s record-setting season. Carry-over water in Pine Flat Reservoir aided this year’s delivery estimates.

Unlike last year, where heavy snow packed the southern Sierra with ample water for irrigators throughout the summer, this year’s storms have tracked farther north, according to Ryan Jacobsen, FID board chairman. Nevertheless, he said the district appears to be in good shape for this season.

A smaller portion of district water comes from the San Joaquin River via the federal Central Valley Project. An initial allocation of irrigation deliveries from the Bureau of Reclamation was set at 60% for Friant District Class 1 contractors, with no Class 2 allocation set at this time.