SACRAMENTO – (INT) - The State Water Resources Control Board has approved a request by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to take more than 600,000 acre-feet from the San Joaquin River and send much of that water flowing to areas where it can spread out. It would soak into the ground and percolate down to the aquifer beneath the San Joaquin Valley.

The amount of water that’s set to be rerouted under the plan is more than the annual supply for the city of Los Angeles.

The goal is to intended to address potential flood risks, capitalize on California’s near-record snowpack and capture some of the rainwater from the extreme storms to store water underground.

Declines in water levels have left families with dry wells in rural areas across the Central Valley.

Stabilizing water levels could also help alleviate collapsing ground triggered by overpumping.

Story Date: March 14, 2023