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The good news is that the needle on the water supply gauge hasn’t dipped any lower this year, thanks to Southern Californians’ commitment to water conservation, as well as the storms that swept through the state this winter. The bad news is that conditions have not raised the needle, as the region continues to face significant water supply challenges in 2010 and beyond.

Metropolitan’s main sources of imported supplies remain restricted. The Colorado River is experiencing another dry year – eight out of the nine last years – with overall precipitation about 75 percent of normal.

With regard to our water supplies from Northern California, in late May the state Department of Water Resources issued this year’s final water supply allocation from the State Water Project at 45 percent. This means that Metropolitan will receive just 45 percent of the water it is entitled to receive as one of the state water contractors. This 45 percent was an increase from the initial five percent allocation earlier this year, which was the lowest on record. But despite that increase, we continue to have a serious water supply situation.

In the past, California relied on wet winters to replenish water reserves. Today, winter storms don’t improve the current water shortage significantly because of environmental restrictions on pumping in the Delta to protect various endangered fish species. Winter is when we feel the impact the most.

Water that Metropolitan could normally count on receiving is no longer available because of these restrictions. It will remain that way until the crisis in the Delta is fixed. The state faces ongoing water shortages for millions of acres of agriculture and 25 million Californians, from the Bay Area to Southern California.

During the past three years, Metropolitan has tapped its reserves to maintain deliveries to its 26 member agencies and 19 million Southern Californians. Our reserves are down by about 50 percent. With water uncertainties facing the state, the challenge ahead is to continue to lower demand and stretch our reserve supplies as much as possible for use in dry years and in case of an emergency such as a catastrophic earthquake.

Because of these ongoing, complex water supply and delivery problems, Metropolitan’s board of directors approved a water supply allocation plan for an unprecedented second year in 2010.

The rains this winter were welcome, but we are by no means out of the woods. There is much to be done. And, we all have to adjust to facing the prospect of reduced and uncertain supplies from Northern California and to recognize that it will take new investments – statewide and in this region –to build a more reliable water system.

Learn more about how other reservoirs around the state have benefited from recent storms at the California Dept. of Water Resources.

Learn more about the critical water supply situation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Read “Dealing with Drought,” the publication from the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) about drought impacts around the state and how to become “low-flow” consumers.