State Water Board: statewide hydrology near average; term 91 curtailments in effect

State Water Resources Control Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel convened a July 16 session that included a hydrologic update and an overview of term 91 curtailments affecting the Bay‑Delta watershed. Jessica Bean, a staff member with the Board’s Division of Water Rights, told the board, "Precipitation statewide is looking, pretty similar to where we were, last month when we met — right about 95% of average statewide." A Water Board staff member who presented on term 91 said, "term 91 is a water rights term that is included in permits and licenses, granted after 1965 in the Bay‑Delta Watershed."

The update matters because term 91 is a tool the State Water Board uses when the Delta is in a "balanced condition" and stored project water must be released to meet Bay‑Delta Plan flow and quality requirements. The staff presenter described term 91 as protecting stored project water by notifying permit and license holders that water is not available at their priority when supplemental project water is being used to meet Delta needs.

Board staff laid out the current statewide picture. Bean reported regional departures from average precipitation for the water year: Northern Sierra about 105% of average, the San Joaquin Index at about 67%, and Tulare at about 82%. Staff said major storage reservoirs are at or near average; the…