California water officials are projecting a boost in delivery fulfillments this year, despite enduring a predominantly dry January. The Department of Water Resources on Tuesday announced that its State Water Project would likely be able to allocate 20 percent of requested supplies, up from 15 percent at the end of December and just 5 percent earlier that month. The State Water Project, a storage system that serves about 27 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland, spans about two-thirds the length of California. Although 29 public agencies and water districts have long-term delivery contracts with the project, quantities available each year vary based on seasonal precipitation and reservoir levels. The initial more dismal release projections accounted for arid fall months as well as the current La Niña phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation weather phenomenon. During La Niña years, the southern U.S. — including much of California — typically endures dryer, hotter conditions.

Related articles:

• Fox 26 News (Fresno, Calif.): California boosts State Water Project allocation amid dry January
• California Department of Water Resources news release: State Water Project increases allocation forecast for millions of Californians
• California Department of Water Resources news release: Get the facts about the State Water Project allocation
• San Francisco Chronicle: Strengthening atmospheric river poised to bring significant rainfall to Northern California
• KTVU San Francisco: No snow: Sierra is having one of the driest Januaries in decades
• ABC 10 Sacramento: Northern California storms shift in February as drought risks grow in south