Department of Water Resources Role in Water Transfers

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Water Transfers 101

• Department of Water Resources Role in Water
  Transfers
• Jerry Johns, DWR

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Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta)
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What is a Water Transfer

• A change is the way water is allocated
• Expand use to new areas
• Allows alternative use without extensive
  additional facilities
• Instream Flow (1707)
• From a water right perspective
• Change in POU, POD, Purpose
• Cannot increase the amount or season
• Follow the water not the trades

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DWRs Role in Water Transfers Across the Delta

• Operator of the State Water Project
• Water Supply Planning Agency

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DWR as Operator of the SWP

• Responsible for meeting inbasin demands and Delta
  Standards in coordination with the USBR for the
  CVP
• Provide appropriate System-wide credits for water
  transfers through adjustments in COA accounting
• Provide available pumping capacity in the Delta
  for water transfers (see W.C. 1810)

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DWR as Water Supply Planning Agency

• Purchase water for the EWA and the States Dry
  Year Program
• Provide clear understanding about water DWR will
  purchase recognizing legislative guidance in the
  Water Code
• Evaluate water transfers from statewide
  perspective protecting the needs of the areas of
  origin

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Water Supply Planning Agency Cont.

• Work with CALFED agencies to provide information
  on water transfers
• Water Transfers Papers - 2002
• Provide information on water transfer to
  interested parties (see website
  www.watertransfers.water.ca.gov)
• On Tap Data Base and Web site - historic
  transfers

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Some General Policies on Water

• Water belongs to the people of the State
• A water right is a usufruct right
• Prohibition against waste or unreasonable use
• Water rights can be lost through non-use
• To transfer water the transferor must have
  underlining rights to the water (water right or
  contract right)
• Water transferred legally cannot be not lost

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Types of Surface Water Rights

• Pueblo
• Riparian
• Federal Reserved
• Appropriative
• Pre-1914
• Section 12
• Post-1914
• Prescriptive
• Adjudicated

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Types of Transfers

• Surface Water
• Stored Water
• Reduction in Direct Use of Surface Water
• Crop Idling
• Water Conservation
• Alternative Source of Water ( e.g.groundwater not
  directly connected to the surface system)
• Groundwater

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Types of Transfers Cont..

• Groundwater
• Direct Use Transfer of Groundwater
• Banked Groundwater
• Use of Groundwater in lieu of Surface Water
  (actually a surface water transfer see above)

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Three Rules Related to Water Transfers

• No injury to any legal user of water (Water
  Code 1702, 1706, 1727, 1736, 1810)
• No unreasonable effects to fish or wildlife
  (Water Code 1727, 1736, 1810)
• No unreasonable economic impacts to overall
  economy of the county in from which the water is
  transferred. (Use of SWP - Water Code 1810)

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No Injury Rule

• No injury to other legal users of water
• Not just prior users - any other user
• Protects juniors from seniors
• Based in old court cases, now in statute
• Applies to both pre and post 1914 rights (1706,
  1702, 1727, 1736)
• Whats legal injury vs. impact- Imported water/
  watershed protection

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No Injury Issues

• Stored Water
• Conditions absent the water transfer
• Refill impacts
• Water Diverted Direct to Use
• Crop shifting, Crop idling
• Use of Groundwater in lieu of Surface Water
• Direct use of Groundwater (not out of Sacramento
  Watershed - WC 1220)
• Water Conservation Efforts

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Agricultural Water UseWithout water conservation
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Diversion 15
CU7
Return Flow 8
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Deep percolation to salt sink - 1
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Agricultural Water UseWith water
conservation(No change in consumptive use)
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Diversion 10
5
CU7
3
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Deep percolation to salt sink - 1
Return Flow 8
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Agricultural Water UseWith water
conservation(With change in consumptive use)
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Diversion 13
CU5
Return Flow 8
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Deep percolation to salt sink - 1
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Groundwater Substitution Transfers(Base
Conditions)
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Diversion 15
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CU7
Return Flow 8
Deep percolation to salt sink - 1
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Groundwater Substitution Transfers(With
Groundwater Pumping)
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Diversion 10
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CU7
Return Flow 8
Deep percolation to salt sink - 1
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Local Economic Effects

• Focuses mostly on crop idling or shifting
• Some positive aspects in todays crop market
• Focus on dry years (about 1/3 of years)
• If fallowing greater than 20 - hearing
• Effects on local economy related to farming
• Reinvestment in local economy
• Farm jobs and services related to lost jobs

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CALFED Agency Water Transfers in Water Year
2000-01

• PROGRAM TAF UOD/SOD
• EWA 264 105/159
• DWR Dry Yr. 138 138/0
• CVP Dry Yr. 160 160/0
• CVPIA
• Refuge 68 25/43
• Instream (SJRA) 109 109/0
• EWP 0
  0/0
• Others 10
  10/0
• Total 745
  523/224
• Does not include 72 TAF from 1999

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CALFED Agency Water Transfers in Water Year
2001-02

• PROGRAM TAF UOD/SOD
• EWA 242 145/97
• DWR Dry Yr. 22 22/0
• CVP Dry Yr. 0 0/0
• CVPIA
• Refuge 63
  0/63
• Instream (SJRA) 110 110/0
• EWP 0 0/0
• Others 5
  5/0
• Total 442 282/160

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CALFED Agency Water Transfers in Water Year
2002-03

• PROGRAM TAF UOD/SOD
• EWA 215
  70/145
• DWR Dry Yr. 11 11/0
• CVP Dry Yr. 0
  0/0
• CVPIA
• Refuge 70
  0/70
• Instream (SJRA) 91
  91/0
• EWP 0
  0/0
• MWD/CRCP 123 123/0
• Total 510 295/215
• Not conveyed in 2003

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DWR Principles Related to Water Transfers

• Local Leadership
• Assuring Adequate Local Water Supplies.
• No Injury to Legal Users
• Protection of Fish and Wildlife
• Economic Effects
• Water management strategies are being designed to
  avoid unreasonable county-wide economic impacts.

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Summary

• Water Transfers are working
• Water Transfers that work best are those that
• avoid injury to water users
• address fish and wildlife issues
• sensitive to economic issues
• Economic evaluated in EWA EIR
• Long-term water transfers are in our future
• EWA
• Waterfowl refuges
• Instream flows
• Water supply urban users