RESTRICTION ROLLBACK

by Kevin Fitzgerald

The state of California has gotten 30.23 inches of precipitation since the current water year started on Oct. 1, 2022, putting the state at 145% of the historical average, according to the state’s California Water Watch website, as of April 18.

Major reservoir levels across the state are at 105% of their average historic levels, and the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada stands at 228% of its historic average peak. Because of all this water, most of the state has emerged from a record-breaking drought.

All this good water news has spurred Gov. Gavin Newsom, the State Water Resources Control Board and Coachella Valley water agencies to roll back most drought-related water usage restrictions—which had grown more onerous over the last two years. The governor’s March 24 announcement that he was rescinding the 15% voluntary water-usage reduction target for every household and business in the state prompted many of the state’s water agencies to discontinue most Level 2 usage restrictions. The state continues to prohibit the use of potable water to irrigate ornamental (or nonfunctional) turf on street medians and other places that aren’t used for human or animal recreational needs.

Here in the Coachella Valley, the Desert Water Agency, which serves customers in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, rescinded its Level 2 restrictions at its April 18 board of directors meeting. As a result, only the following types of water usage remain restricted: Watering so much that it runs onto the sidewalk, driveway or other nonlandscape areas; applying water to driveways, sidewalks, concrete or asphalt (unless it’s done to address immediate health and safety needs, or done via reasonable pressure washer or water broom use); watering during rain and 48 hours after; and running water to wash vehicles. Escalating monetary fines remain in place for DWA customers who do not obey these remaining restrictions.

At the Coachella Valley Water District, which serves customers in most of the rest of the valley, public information officer Lorraine Garcia told the Independent that the agency has also rescinded the Level 2 restrictions that were originally implemented in May 2022. All of the DWA’s restrictions are in effect for CVWD customers, too, as is a requirement that broken sprinkler heads get fixed within five business days.

“These are all common-sense actions that we should be doing at all times, and they are always in effect,” Garcia said. “Level 2 had a restriction about not watering outdoors during daylight hours, and (even though it is now rescinded), when we think about that for this coming summer heat, we still encourage people to water in the evening so that they avoid the quick evaporation of the water.”

We asked Garcia what penalties would be imposed on CVWD customers who did not abide by the reduced restrictions. “They wouldn’t get a fine,” she said, adding that the most important thing is that the penalty for exceeding each CVWD user’s monthly water budget, as set by the agency, is no longer in effect.

In Desert Hot Springs, the Mission Springs Water District will move away from the Level 2 water-use restrictions soon, according to Marion Champion, the government and public affairs manager. “When the governor made his declaration asking everybody to move into Level 2, it was the State Water Resources Control Board who actually put the emergency regulations into place that required water agencies to move to Level 2. Those emergency regulations expire on June 10, so our board adopted a resolution on April 17 that will allow us to move back to Level 1 immediately following the expiration. … The biggest impact in moving from Stage 2 to Stage 1 is that daylight irrigation will be allowed again for our customers.

“Our MSWD customers are already pretty efficient in their water use. They have the lowest per-capita water use in the valley. We live in a desert where we really do have to practice conservation as a way of life.”

The MSWD Level 1 restrictions will be in line with the continuing DWA and CVWD restrictions.

One reason why the state’s water agencies feel confident in relaxing their usage restrictions is that allocations of imported water to them by the State Water Project have been set at 75% of the established annual allocation per agency—a much higher figure than in recent years. Champion said that the state’s snowpack and reservoir levels have a direct impact on the Coachella Valley.

“Here in the Coachella Valley, we import water in two ways: We import water from the Colorado River system, and we import it from the State Water Project. This year’s (SWP) allocation is currently up to 75%. If you compare that to years past, in 2020, the allocation was 20%. In 2021, it dropped to 5%, and in 2022, it was 5%. We use that water from the State Water Project to replenish our aquifer. On the Colorado River side, we are not out of the woods. We’re still in drought conditions on the Colorado River side. … We’re watching it very closely.”

Garcia agreed. “CVWD is the only agency in the valley who has rights to the Colorado River and the State Water Project, but those are two different sources. The State Water Project is where we’re getting 75% of our allocation this year, which is a great thing, but the Colorado River doesn’t actually get filled up by the Sierras, which is what feeds the State Water Project. Its water comes from the Rockies, and while the Rockies have gotten some snow, I don’t think it’s having the same impact as the Sierras. Still, it does help.”

The Colorado River system remains a hot- button issue; it is being fought over by seven Western states that rely on the river for both drinking water and agriculture. The tug-ofwar between the states reached an impasse at the end of 2022, which has forced the United States Department of Interior (DOI) to consider imposing some form of sharing agreement upon the threatened states.

Two potential plans were unveiled on April 11 by the DOI. While both include reductions in water allotments for all states, one calls for the continued recognition of established legacy water rights that have long dictated tiered annual allocations to the states in question. The other would basically put all seven states on an equal-footing.

“There are a lot of negotiations happening,” Garcia said. “All I can really say is that the CVWD is supporting a seven-state consensus plan, and we’ll continue to work toward that end.”