Updates on Long-Term CVP Operations and Stanislaus Watershed Studies
Recent state and federal updates provide new information on long-term water management planning in the San Joaquin Basin, including the Stanislaus Watershed. These efforts focus on improving flood management, groundwater sustainability, and climate resilience through coordinated planning and updated operational strategies.
Stanislaus Watershed Study – Key Findings
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released results from its Stanislaus Watershed Study as part of the San Joaquin Basin Flood-MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) program. Modeling shows that climate change is expected to significantly affect water supply, flood risk, and groundwater conditions in the watershed by mid-century.
- Annual watershed runoff could decline by approximately 29,000 acre-feet, reducing available surface water supplies.
- Higher temperatures are projected to increase surface water demand by roughly 21,000 acre-feet per year.
- Greater reliance on groundwater could lead to continued overdraft and declining groundwater levels.
- River flows may reach potentially hazardous flood levels in roughly one out of every four years without adaptation.
The study highlights the Integrated Forecast-Informed Resources Management (I-FIRM) adaptation strategy, which combines Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) with Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR). Together, these approaches aim to capture and store floodwater during wet periods, reduce flood risk, and replenish groundwater supplies.
- Up to 39,000 acre-feet of floodwater could be stored underground annually using existing infrastructure.
- Groundwater overdraft could be reduced, with groundwater levels rising by up to seven feet in some areas.
- The frequency of potentially hazardous flooding could be reduced to approximately once every 100 years.
Bureau of Reclamation – Long-Term CVP Operations
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has also announced updates to its long-term operation plan for the Central Valley Project (CVP). The updated planning reflects ongoing efforts to balance water supply reliability, flood management, environmental needs, and changing hydrologic conditions across the Central Valley.
