Kings County Times

WASHINGTON – Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) released a statement today in response to the Bureau of Reclamation’s updated 2024 water allocation announcement for Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors. The new allocation increases the supply for South-of-Delta agricultural contractors from 40% to 50% of their contracted amount.

“Our family farms and downstream communities rely on meaningful and timely allocations for the water they contract and pay for to grow the food that feeds the world,” said Congressman Valadao. “While I am grateful for this welcomed increase from Reclamation, it’s frustrating that we could have had this allocation back in February to give farmers proper time to plan their operations for the year. Reclamation must improve the pace and transparency of their decision-making process moving forward to ensure our farmers are not being held in the dark or gambling about the future of their water supply. I will continue urging transparency in Reclamation’s decision-making and a significant increase in water allocations for South-of-Delta agriculture.”

Last week, Congressman Valadao joined California’s Central Valley delegation in a letter to Reclamation urging them to substantially increase allocations to South-of-Delta water contractors: “As temperatures rise, the current water allocations have the potential to reduce crop productivity, as well as reduce the flexible use of all available water types to Central Valley residents and communities. To maximize agricultural productivity and the flexible use of water contractor portfolios, we request that Reclamation provide an update in June that increases allocations,” the lawmakers wrote.

In March, Reclamation announced a 35% allocation for South-of-Delta agricultural repayment and water service contractors, up from their initial February allocation of 15%. In April, these allocations were increased to 40%.

Since Reclamation’s initial announcement in February, Congressman Valadao has urged them to increase these allocations due to record wet conditions in California. After March's announcement of increased allocations, Rep. Valadao penned a letter urging further significant increases for CVP water allocations.

Central Valley agriculture contractors depend on meaningful allocations from Reclamation for yearly planning. Farmers and communities have faced disproportionately low water supplies for many years, even during wet periods. As a lifelong dairy farmer, Congressman Valadao has experienced these challenges firsthand and has consistently advocated for CVP allocations that meet agricultural needs.

###