Monday January 30, 2023
Chico Enterprise-Record —
Over the course of the last two months, Butte County has had one of the wettest winters on record with Northern California as a whole seeing storm after storm.
Though the drought is far from over, the additional water from the rainfall has prompted the California Department of Water Resources to up the allocation of water for public agencies from 5%, which was previously announced in December, to 30%. This will mean considerably more water for local agencies to utilize.
The allocation is a significant increase, though the number is still low because of the ongoing drought. The last time the State Water Project has allocated 100% was 17 years ago.
Butte County Supervisor Tod Kimmelshue, whose district covers the majority of the county’s farmland, praised the decision and talked about the positive impact it will have on farmers this year.