California Department of Water Resources
01/29/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/29/2026 19:23
Video: State Water Project Allocation Process
Video: State Water Project Allocation Process
Published: January 29, 2026
California Department of Water Resources Engineer Jacob Kollen (left) and Engineer Anthony Burdock conduct the first media snow survey of the 2026 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada. The snow survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken December 30, 2026.
When the State Water Project determines water allocations each year, several factors are taken into consideration including current hydrology and an assumption of dry conditions through the rest of the year. Another factor is existing reservoir conditions and snow surveys help determine how much water is being held in California's snowpack that acts like a natural reservoir.
California Department of Water Resources published this content on January 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 30, 2026 at 01:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]