Butte Water District 2018 Water Transfers Program (SWPAO #18700)

Butte Water District 2018 Water Transfers Program (SWPAO #18700)

BWD proposes to transfer to DRWD and KCWA up to 21,920.2 acre-feet of water. The water will be made available from the Feather River through groundwater substitution and idling of acreage within BWD that would be planted to rice in 2018 in the absence of the transfer. The idled acreage together with acreage idled in adjacent district totals less than 20 percent of the cultivated acreage within Butte County. Upon notice by the Buyers, groundwater will be pumped from approved wells to irrigate rice acreage that would have been irrigated with surface water diverted from the Feather River, June through September 2018, in the absence of the transfer. The transfer water will be made available at Thermalito Afterbay on the Feather River and will flow through the natural river channels to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where it will be pumped at the SWP Banks Pumping Plant in compliance with all applicable regulatory restrictions governing State Water Project operations. The DWR will deliver the transfer water to shortages within the Buyers' service area due to ongoing dry conditions and would not support new development.

Gridley

Butte, Sutter