Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed Drought & Curtailments 2021-2023
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) watershed is a crucial source of water for much of California for people and the environment. The Delta watershed comprises approximately 20 percent of California’s land mass and constitutes the state’s largest source of surface water, supplying a portion of the water supply to two-thirds of Californians and millions of acres of farmland. The Delta is also home to numerous fish, wildlife, and plant species of very high ecological, economic, and cultural importance.
In water years 2021 and 2022 the Delta watershed and all of California experienced critically dry hydrologic conditions, resulting in drought or near-drought conditions throughout the state. The lasting impacts of water years 2020-2022, the driest three-year period on record, still persist in some regions. The combination of unusually low precipitation, warm temperatures, and dry soils resulted in unprecedented low runoff from the Sierra-Cascade snowpack, causing significant reductions in water supplies and low reservoir storage levels. In recognition of these dry conditions, on May 10, 2021, Governor Newsom declared a drought emergency for 41 counties, including those within the Delta watershed, outlining various actions that the State Water Board and other agencies should take or consider, including curtailments to prohibit diversions when water was not available at a water right holder’s or claimant’s priority of right. On March 24, 2023, Governor Newsom issued a partial rollback of emergency restrictions that were no longer needed.
Announcements
- April 2, 2024 - Beta version of the 1/19/2023 Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed released in Python code, along with Excel Workbook compiling the history of emergency regulation Curtailment Statuses.
- April 3, 2023 – Curtailment and Reporting Orders Rescinded for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed. For more information, please visit the Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List section below.
Delta Watershed Water Unavailability
On August 20, 2021, the State Water Board issued initial orders imposing curtailment and reporting requirements to all water right holders and claimants in the Delta watershed. These orders were rescinded on April 3, 2023.
- Order Issued to Small Diverters (annual use/right under 5,000 acre feet)
- Order Issued to Larger Diverters (annual use/right of 5,000 acre feet or greater)
For information on compliance and responses to curtailment and reporting orders, visit our Curtailment Compliance and Responses page.
To request a copy of written public comments on the emergency regulation, please send an email to Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov.
2022 Revision and Readoption
- August 12, 2022 - Emergency Regulation as Approved by the Office of Administrative Law
- August 2, 2022 – Emergency Regulation Submitted to Office of Administrative Law
- Form 400 and Adopted Regulation Text
- Resolution 2022-0028
- Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking
- Transmittal Email for Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking
- Finding of Emergency, Informative Digest, and Fiscal Impact Statement
- June 27, 2022 Water Unavailability Methodology Report and Appendices
- Form 399 and Fiscal Impact Statement
- Statement Confirming Compliance with Notice Requirement
- July 25, 2022 – Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking
- July 20, 2022 – Board Meeting to Consider Proposed Resolution Revising and Readopting Emergency Regulation for Delta Watershed (Video)
- July 6, 2022 - CORRECTED Draft Emergency Regulation | CORRECTED Redline
- June 27, 2022 – Revised Draft Emergency Regulation Available
- April 19, 2022 – Notice of Availability of Draft Emergency Curtailment and Reporting Regulation
2021 Adoption
- August 19, 2021 – Emergency Regulation as Approved by Office of Administrative Law
- August 9, 2021 – Emergency Regulation Submitted to Office of Administrative Law
- Transmittal Memo
- Form 400 and Adopted Regulation Text
- Resolution 2021-0028
- Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking and Draft Regulation Text
- Transmittal Email for Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking
- Redline Version of Adopted Regulation Text
- Finding of Emergency, Informative Digest, and Revised Fiscal Impact Statement
- July 23, 2021 Water Unavailability Methodology Report and Appendices
- Form 399 and Revised Fiscal Impact Statement
- August 3, 2021 - Board Meeting: Adoption of Emergency Regulation (Video)
- July 30, 2021 - Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking
- July 23, 2021 - Notice of Availability of Draft Emergency Regulation for Public Review and Comment
Responses to the forms discussed in this section must be submitted through the State Water Board’s Survey Portal. The login and password needed to access the Survey Portal are provided on the initial order, dated August 20, 2021, that all water right holders and claimants received. The login is the water right ID and the password is generally the same as the reporting identifier used to access the Electronic Water Right Information Management System (eWRIMS) Report Management System (RMS) for submission of annual reports of water diversion and use.
Compliance Certification Form
All water right holders and claimants are required to submit this form for each applicable right or claim.
Human Health and Safety Certification Form
This form is for water right holders and claimants requesting an exception to curtailment for minimum human health and safety needs.
Non-Consumptive Use Certification Form
This form is for water right holders and claimants requesting an exception to curtailment in order to continue diversions for non-consumptive uses.
Enhanced Reporting Forms
For more information regarding enhanced reporting of projected demand and prior diversions, please visit the Delta Watershed Enhanced Reporting Webpage.
Human Health and Safety Reporting Form
This form is for water right holders and claimants who continue to divert above 55 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) or an amount not quantifiable in GPCD for minimum human health and safety needs under an approved Petition to Increase Human Health and Safety Diversions. Monthly reporting using this form is required for all diversions made under an approved petition.
- January 22, 2024 - ORDER WR 2024–0001-EXEC - The Board has reviewed Blue Mountain Minerals' petition for reconsideration of the 2022 curtailment orders issued pursuant to the 2022 Drought Emergency Regulation and issued a response Order. For the reasons discussed in the Order, the Petition is denied.
- December 21, 2023 - Notice of Rescission of 2015 Curtailment Notice - In keeping with direction from the Superior Court for the County of Santa Clara, the Board has rescinded a notice no longer in effect dated May 1, 2015 regarding water unavailability in the Sacramento River watershed.
- December 14, 2023 - Order WR-2023-0065-EXEC - The Board has reviewed the petition for reconsideration of 2022 curtailment orders issued pursuant to the 2022 Drought Emergency Regulation and issued a response Order. For the reasons discussed in the Order, the Petition is denied.
- November 20, 2023 - Notice of Rescission of 2015 Curtailment Notices - In keeping with direction from the Superior Court for the County of Santa Clara, the Board has rescinded notices no longer in effect dated June 12, 2015 and July 15, 2015 regarding water unavailability in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed and Scott River watershed.
- August 14, 2023 – August 2022 Drought Emergency Regulation Expiration
- April 3, 2023 – Curtailment and Reporting Orders Rescinded for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed. For more information, please visit the Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List section below.
- March 24, 2023 – Governor Newsom’s Drought Update
- March 21, 2023 - Written Public Comment Deadline Extended to 5:00 PM on April 14, 2023, for Comments on Potential Legal Delta and Return Flow Water Supply Refinements to the Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed
- March 15, 2023 – Resources Available Following Staff Workshop on Potential Legal Delta and Return Flow Water Supply Refinements to the Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed (see Previous Events and Actions section below)
- March 10, 2023 – Staff Workshop on Potential Legal Delta and Return Flow Water Supply Refinements to the Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed (Notice | Presentation Slides | Video)
- Technical Document: Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed: Possible Legal Delta Supply Adjustments (February 24, 2023)
- Technical Document: Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed: Return Flows (February 24, 2023)
- Technical Document: Updated Water Unavailability Methodology Spreadsheet with Possible Legal Delta Supply Adjustments (February 24, 2023)
- November 9, 2022 – Staff Workshop on Proposed Refined Watershed Analysis and Friant Priority Date Adjustments in the Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed (Notice | Presentation Slides | Video)
- Technical Document: Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed: Refined Watershed Analysis (October 11, 2022)
- Technical Document: Water Unavailability Methodology Spreadsheet with Refined Watershed Analysis (October 11, 2022)
- Technical Document: Updated Water Unavailability Methodology Spreadsheet with Refined Watershed Analysis (November 16, 2022)
- August 12, 2022 - Emergency Regulation Approved by the Office of Administrative Law (see Emergency Curtailment and Reporting Regulation section below)
- August 2, 2022 – Emergency Regulation Submitted to Office of Administrative Law (see Emergency Curtailment and Reporting Regulation section below)
- August 1, 2022 – 2022 Delta Watershed Emergency Regulation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- July 21, 2022 – Deepening drought prompts readoption of curtailment regulation for the Delta
- July 20, 2022 – Board Meeting: Consideration of Proposed Resolution Revising and Readopting Emergency Regulation (Agenda | Video)
- May 12, 2022 – Staff Workshop on Updated Water Unavailability Methodology and Draft Emergency Regulation for the Delta Watershed (Notice | Presentation Slides | Video)
- May 9, 2022 – Order WR 2022-0147-EXEC Denying Reconsideration of the August 2021 Emergency Regulation and Curtailment Orders for the Delta Watershed
- April 19, 2022 – State Water Board staff proposes readoption of emergency drought regulation in Bay-Delta
- December 15, 2021 – Staff Workshop on Possible Alternative Approaches to Address Water Supply Shortages in the Delta Watershed (Notice | Presentation Slides | Video )
- December 10, 2021 – Technical Document: Possible Curtailment Method Based on a Water Right Term 91 Type Approach
- October 20, 2021 – Staff Workshop on Potential Changes to the Water Unavailability Methodology (Notice | Presentation Slides | Video)
- August 31, 2021 - Curtailment Compliance and Response Assistance Webinar (Notice | Morning Session Video | Afternoon Session Video)
- August 20, 2021 – Low water levels trigger curtailments for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
- August 3, 2021 - State Water Board approves emergency curtailment measures for the Delta watershed
- August 3, 2021 – Board Meeting: Consideration of Proposed Resolution to Adopt Emergency Regulation (Agenda | Video)
- July 27, 2021 – Staff Workshop on Proposed Emergency Regulation (Notice | Presentation Slides)
- July 23, 2021 - Notice of Water Unavailability for Senior Water Right Claims in the Delta Watershed
- June 15, 2021 - Drought conditions prompt restrictions for some Delta water right holders
- June 15, 2021 - Notice of Water Unavailability for Post-1914 Appropriative Water Right Holders and Warning of Impending Water Unavailability for Pre-1914 Appropriative and Riparian Claimants in the Delta Watershed
- June 1, 2021 – Board Meeting Informational Item: Update on Water Unavailability Methodology (Video)
- May 21, 2021 – Staff Workshop on Water Unavailability Methodology (Notice | Video)
- May 10, 2021 - Governor Newsom’s Emergency Drought Proclamation
Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List
Rescission of Curtailment and Reporting Orders
Effective April 3, 2023, all orders imposing water right curtailment and reporting requirements (curtailment and reporting orders) issued pursuant to the emergency curtailment and reporting regulation for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) watershed (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 23, § 876.1 et seq.) were rescinded.
The curtailment and reporting orders imposed reporting requirements and required water right holders and claimants to monitor the Delta Drought website and cease diversions when the Delta Watershed Curtailment Status List showed their right or claim was curtailed.
As a result of this rescission, water right holders and claimants are no longer subject to curtailment requirements under the drought emergency regulation for the Delta Watershed. This includes checking curtailment statuses, enhanced reporting for larger rights and claims, and reporting for human health and safety exceptions. Pending requests for an exception to curtailment are considered closed. This rescission does not eliminate ongoing or pending enforcement actions for past violations and related settlements.
Curtailment List Archive
Curtailment orders were authorized by the emergency regulation adopted by the State Water Board on July 20, 2022, and approved by the Office of Administrative Law on August 12, 2022 (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 23, §§ 876.1-879.3.). Determinations of water unavailability used to inform curtailments orders were based on the Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed, per the Board’s emergency regulation.
Curtailment Status History compilation (Excel workbook)
2023 - Previous Updates to Curtailment Status List
- April 3, 2023 – Weekly Update
- March 7, 2023 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- February 21, 2023 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- January 10, 2023 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- January 4, 2023 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
2022 - Previous Updates to Curtailment Status List
- December 22, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 20, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 13, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 6, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 2, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 29, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 22, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 15, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 8, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 4, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 1, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 25, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 18, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 20, 2022 – Correction to Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 11, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 4, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 27, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 19, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 16, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 13, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 6, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 30, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 23, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 16, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 9, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 2, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- July 26, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- July 19, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- July 21, 2022 – Correction to Weekly Update
- July 12, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- July 6, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- June 28, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- June 21, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- June 14, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- June 7, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- June 1, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- May 24, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- May 17, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- May 10, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- May 3, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- April 26, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- April 19, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- April 11, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- April 5, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- March 29, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- March 22, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- March 15, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- March 8, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- March 1, 2022 - Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- February 22, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- February 15, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- February 8, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- February 1, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- January 25, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- January 18, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- January 10, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- January 3, 2022 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
2021 - Previous Updates to Curtailment Status List
- December 31, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 24, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 17, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 10, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- December 7, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List (Last Updated 12/8/2021)
- November 30, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 23, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 18, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 12, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 5, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- November 3, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 26, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 19, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 13, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 6, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- October 1, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 24, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 17, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 10, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- September 3, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 27, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
- August 20, 2021 – Weekly Update and Curtailment Status List
Delta Drought Response Resources
How to Conserve
Delta watershed residents can help! Surface and groundwater users can help lessen drought impacts, and even small efforts can result in huge benefits for flows and fish.
Here are just a few ways to help:
- Reduce diversions from surface and groundwater sources
- Conserve water, limit non-food irrigation, and reuse graywater (i.e., water from sinks, showers, baths, washing machines, or dishwashers)
- Coordinate diversion timing with neighbors to reduce cumulative effects
- Prepare for ongoing drought by exploring water storage options (e.g., rain collection, roofwater harvesting, or tank storage)
Photo credit: CA Dept of Water Resources.
How to Report an Unauthorized Diversion or Water Waste
Visit the CalEPA Complaint System to report unauthorized diversions, such as violations of water right permits or diversions impacting fisheries.
Visit savewater.ca.gov to report water waste, such as leaks and overwatering, to your local water agency.
Stay informed
Email Subscription Topic
Subscribe to the Delta Drought email topic to receive notifications and the latest updates.
Contact Us
- Email: Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov
- Phone: (916) 319-0960