SACRAMENTO – (INT) – Don’t count on any water from the State Water Project.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced Friday that the allocation is being dropped to zero.

Deliveries to agricultural districts with long-standing water rights in the Sacramento Valley may be cut 50 percent -- the maximum permitted by contract.

Almost all areas getting Northern California water have other sources of water, such as groundwater, local reservoirs, and other supplies. Much of Southern California is supplied by the Colorado River.

Winter storms yet to come could ease the drought emergency. But, water officials said Friday it would need to rain and snow heavily every other day from now until May in Northern California to get back to seasonal averages.

Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said "the reduction of State Water Project deliveries to zero percent is unprecedented." Kightlinger urged all residents to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20 percent.

Story Date: February 7, 2014