California officials announced Monday that state reservoirs are on track to provide just 5% of the water requested by cities and farms next year, a remarkably small amount of water that could necessitate big water cuts — should the projection hold. The grim estimate comes after what officials described as a slow start to the wet season; however, the allocation was calculated before storms over the past two weeks gave a significant boost to reservoir levels. The state is also trying to recover from a record hot summer that dried up rivers and creeks and faces long-term forecasts suggesting less-than-average precipitation for winter. 

Related articles:

• Los Angeles Times: California sets initial State Water Project allocation at 5% following hot, dry stretch
• California Department of Water Resources news release: DWR announces initial State Water Project allocation for 2025
• Times of San Diego: State Water Project plans for dry year, sets initial allocation at 5% of requests
• Courthouse News Service: Environmental groups claim California’s State Water Project will harm endangered fish and the environment
• Daily Kos: Environmental groups and Winnemem Wintu Tribe file lawsuit against State Water Project EIR