Thursday February 23, 2023
KRCR —
As they do every year around this time, the Bureau of Reclamation has announced their initial 2023 water allocations for those in the Central Valley Project.
Thanks to January’s steady rain and snowfall in the Northstate, the Bureau says California is in a “non-critical” water stage. The difference between critical and non-critical is Shasta Lake, which is currently seeing an inflow that meets their threshold for a non-critical declaration.
After several consecutive drought years, this is a huge step forward. However, it does not mean the state is out of the drought yet. Officials for the Bureau say they cannot fully gauge the drought situation until March at the earliest. As such, they will continue to follow a “cautious and prudent” approach.
Nonetheless, the bureau recognizes the upward trend of our water supply and their initial allocation numbers dictate that.