January 4, 2024 — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced yesterday that it will hold four additional contract negotiation sessions with California’s Placer County Water Agency on the terms and conditions for a long-term Warren Act contract. The contract will be negotiated for the conveyance and temporary storage of up to 47,000 acre-feet of non-Central Valley Project water per year using excess capacity in Folsom Reservoir and the Folsom South Canal. This contract would support PCWA commitments made in the American River Basin Water Forum Agreement and facilitate transfer of water through the Lower American River to East Bay Municipal Utility District.

The Folsom Dam and Reservoir are located about 25 miles east of the city of Sacramento. Folsom Dam and Reservoir form a multipurpose water project constructed by the Corps of Engineers (Corps) and operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Central Valley Project (CVP).

The Warren Act is a federal statute enacted in 1911 that allows local water agencies to contract with federal agencies to store and transport non-project water in federal reservoirs. The water is stored in reservoirs that have excess capacity. The water is for the purpose of distribution to individual water users by the party with whom the contract is made.

When and Where.

The first session will happen on January 17th from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Administrative Office Main Conference Room at Reclamation’s Central California Area Office, located at 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom. There might be additional sessions on February 14th, February 28th, and March 13th at the same time and place. The public is invited to attend, but must register.  To register or get more info, you can reach out to Chanthea Khoun, a Repayment Specialist, at 916-537-7052 or email ckhoun@usbr.gov.

Image:

Folsom Lake (Reservoir).  Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.