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Delta Watermaster previews CalWaters transition, Open ET measurement work and flags federal data cuts
Summary
Delta Watermaster Jay Ziegler briefed the board on July 16 on the CalWaters reporting rollout, Open ET‑based consumptive‑use estimates in the legal Delta, and a series of proposed federal cuts to monitoring and restoration programs that the Watermaster said could harm decision‑quality data.
The State Water Board’s Delta Watermaster told the board on July 16 that the agency’s new CalWaters reporting system is entering a soft launch and that open‑satellite evapotranspiration methods (Open ET) and local measurement projects are giving an increasingly detailed picture of consumptive use within the legal Delta.
Jay Ziegler said the CalWaters team delivered the system on time and on budget and that it will be used for the water‑year 2025 reporting period, with further refinements expected as users enroll. He added that in the legal Delta the project and regional data currently describe about 2,800 water‑right filings and roughly 1,000 unique owners; staff reported in‑Delta diversions at about 1,400,000 acre‑feet and project operations diverting about 4,200,000 acre‑feet (staff caveated the numbers as part of ongoing reconciliation work).
Why it matters: CalWaters is the State Water Board’s consolidated reporting database; its success depends on accurate…
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