West-side water allocation up to 30%

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Thursday bumped up the allocation of irrigation water for west-side farmers to 30%, citing improved water conditions.

Salazar also renewed his pledge to find an additional 8% to 10% for drought-stricken west San Joaquin Valley farmers.

Salazar said he expects to secure an additional 150,000 to 200,000 acre-feet of water for west-side growers, who have battled three dry years and fallowed thousands of acres.

Last month, federal officials raised the water forecast from 5% to 25% of the amount that west San Joaquin Valley growers are allowed from the Central Valley Project.

Westlands Water District officials said the increase in water could prompt some growers to plant additional acres of row crops.

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 But the real benefit may come in reducing the farmers' heavy pumping from wells.

"We know that we have used them to extreme excess," said Sarah Woolf, Westlands' spokeswoman. "And this will help relieve that."

Water district agencies, farmers and elected officials have been applying pressure on the Obama administration for months to provide growers with more water.

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said he was satisfied with increase.

"This announcement is proof that we are winning our fight for water," Costa said. "Every additional drop we secure puts people back to work and helps get our economy going again. Water is the lifeblood for our farmers, workers, Latino community and entire Valley."

While Costa vows to continue to fight for more water, Salazar said his agency is also working on finding solutions.

"It is through our strong partnerships that we can best address the Central Valley Project's water supply challenges -- both short term and long term," Salazar said. "We, along with agencies and stakeholders, are fully engaged in developing water-supply solutions while at the same time honoring conservation requirements and contract responsibilities."

The increased forecast comes as the state completes its wettest year since 2006. The Sierra snowpack is above average for the season.

In Northern California, Shasta Reservoir, which provides federal water for the Valley's west side, is at more than 100% of average for this date.

From the San Joaquin River, the allocation for the 15,000 east Valley farmers in the Friant Water Authority remains at 100% of their high-priority deliveries. Lower-priority water users will get 15%, up from 10% last month.