United States Department ofthe Interior

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

Mid-Pacific Rcgional Office

2800 Cottage Way

&icrauicrito, Galifontia 95825-1898

HP -440 JUN 0 2 1994

WTR-4.OO

To: Central Valley Project Contractor

From: Gary T. Sackett

Regional Supervisor of Water

and Power Resources Management

Subject: 1994 Evaluation Criteria to Identify Critical Need Water

Requirements - Central Valley Project

Enclosed are Reclamation’s final 1994 criteria to evaluate requests from

agricultural and urban contractors and wildlife refuges for critical needs

water to help provide relief from impacts of this critically dry year.

All requests for critical need water must be provided by COB June 9, 1994, to

the Bureau of Reclamation, Attn: MP-440, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,

California 95825-1898. Each request will be reviewed for compliance with the

criteria. You will be notified on or about June 15, 1994, of the amount of

critical need water that can be made available to your District.

If the total amount agricultural, municipal and industrial and refuge water

exceeds the total .CVP quantity of critical water available., the critical ne~ed

water will be pro-rated.

(~J~Qt

IN REPLY

REFER TO~

Enclosures 3
June 2, 1994

1994 CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT

PROPOSED CRITICAL NEED CRITERIA FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PURPOSES

PURPOSE

Establish the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region’s criteria to be

followed in evaluation requests for relief from water-related critical needs

to Central Valley refuges as identified in the “Refuge Water Supply Report”

and “San Joaquin Basin Action - Kesterson Mitigation Action Plan”.

CRITERIA TO DETERMINE CRITICAL NEED CONDITIONS

Requests for critical water will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Evaluation of the request for critical water supply needs will include a

review of all water supplies available to the applicant.

Refuge water supplies will be provided to refuges currently receiving GyP

water only. In cases where there are no other existing water supplies

available water will be made available to sustain adequate habitat for wetland

dependent migratory birds and threatened and endangered species.

Critical need water is not available from Millerton Lake.

ALLOCATION OF WATER BASED ON ABOVE CRITERIA

o Water will be made available-to meet the critical needs if it is determined

that additional water is required to sustain critical wetland wintering

habitat where no other alternative water supplies are available.

o Water will be made available only for existing developed wetlands.

o All requests for allocations of critical need water must be submitted to

Reclamation by June 9, 1994.

o All requests must include supporting documentation demonstrating all other

available water supplies.

o Critical need water cannot be rescheduled into the 1995 water year.

o Transfers of critical need water from refuges will not be approved.

o If the total amount of critical need water requested exceeds the quantity

of water available, then such water will be made available based upon a

priority that has been mutually agreed upon between Reclamation, Fish and

Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game and Grassland

Resource Conservation District.

o Scheduling of critical need water must be approved by Reclamation.
1994 CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT June 2, 1994

PROPOSED CRITICAL NEED CRITERIA FOR URBAN WATER USERS

PURPOSE

Establish the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region’s criteria to be

followed in evaluation of requests for relief from water-related critical

needs for municipal, industrial and domestic (M&I) purposes as a result of the

water shortage in 1994 to Central Valley Project (CVP) M&I contractors. It is

the goal of Reclamation to provide at least 75 percent of historical

deliveries. Historic usage is calculated as the CVP water deliveries during

the last three years of normal water deliveries, adjusted for growth.

CRITERIA TO DETERMINE CRITICAL NEED CONDITIONS

Delivery of critical need water to any Central Valley Project (CV?) municipal

and industrial (M&I) contractor is a Federal Discretionary Program as defined

in the “Criteria for Evaluating Water Conservation Plans” (Criteria),

developed in April 1993. First consideration for the critical need water will

be given to those M&I contractors which have developed and are actively

implementing water conservation plans that meets the Criteria. Second

consideration will be given to those M&I contractors that are, in the opinion

of Reclamation, making their best effort to complete their plans so that it

meets the Criteria.

Critical need water is not available from Millerton Lake.

ALLOCATION OF CRITICAL NEED WATER BASED ON ABOVE CRITERIA

o Critical need water will be made available to protect public health (basic

needs to maintain life and cleanliness to control disease) and safety (fire

protection) where no other alternative supplies, are available or if other

alternative supplies are not sufficient to provide the required level of

protection.

o All requests for critical water need must be submitted to Reclamation by

June 9, 1994.

o All requests must include supporting documentation demonstrating all other

available water supplies.

o M&I critical need water cannot be rescheduled into the 1995 water year.

o Critical need water cannot be transferred outside the district.

o If the total amount of critical need water requested exceeds the total CV?

quantity of critical water available for M&I purposes, the water will be prorated.

o Scheduling of M&I critical need water must be approved by Reclamation.
June 2, 1994

1994 CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT

PROPOSED CRITICAL NEED CRITERIA FOR IRRIGATION USERS

PURPOSE

Establish the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region’s criteria to be

followed in evaluation of requests for relief from water-related critical

needs for irrigation purposes as a result of the water shortage in 1994 to

Central Valley Project (CV?) irrigation contractors.

CRITERIA TO DETERMINE CRITICAL NEED CONDITIONS

Delivery of critical need water to any CVP agricultural contractor is a

Federal Discretionary Program as defined in the “Criteria for Evaluating Water

Conservation Plans” (Criteria) developed in April 1993. First consideration

for the critical need water will be given to those agricultural contractors

which have developed and are actively implementing water conservation plans

that meet the Criteria. Second consideration for the critical need water will

be given to those agricultural contractors that are, in the opinion the

Reclamation, making their best effort to complete their plans so that it meets

the Criteria.

Critical need water is not available from Millerton Lake.

ALLOCATION OF WATER BASED ON ABOVE CRITERIA

o Water can be made available to trees and vines. The appropriate Farm

Delivery Requirement (FDR) factor may be used to determine the total per acre

feet requirement. The request for critical need water must include

documentation showing the total number of acres in trees and vines, the

appropriate FDR and all available water supplies (including private ground

water wells). The critical need water is that amount of water needed to

provide the FDR for that crop after all other available sources of water have

been utilized.

o Water can be made available on annual crops that are presently planted.

The appropriate FDR may be used to determine the per acre feet requirement.

The request for critical need water must include documentation showing the

total number of acres in specific crops, the appropriate FDR and all available

water supplies (including private ground water wells). The critical need

water is that amount of water needed to provide the FDR for that crop after

all other available sources of water have been utilized.

o All requests for critical need water must be submitted to Reclamation by

June 9, 1994.

o Critical need water cannot be rescheduled into the 1995 water year.

o Critical need water cannot be transferred outside the district.

o If the total amount of critical need water requested exceeds the total CVP

quantity of water available for irrigation purposes, the water will be prorated.

o Scheduling of critical need water must be approved by Reclamation.