California Increases 2026 State Water Project Allocation to 30%

California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) has increased the 2026 State Water Project (SWP) allocation to 30% of requested supplies, up from the initial 10% announced Dec. 1, following mid-December storms that boosted available water supplies. The SWP delivers water to 29 public water agencies serving approximately 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.

According to DWR, SWP allocations are based on hydrologic conditions, existing reservoir storage and planning assumptions that the remainder of the year will be dry. While December storms improved conditions statewide, January has been unseasonably warm and dry, leaving snowpack and precipitation below average for this time of year.