State Water Project

The San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District is one of 29 local water agencies that hold long-term contracts with the California Department of Water Resources for supplies from the State Water Project (SWP). The District uses the water to replenish groundwater in the San Gabriel Valley for future use. In return, SGVMWD and other State Water Project Contractors help pay for the bond used to construct the SWP, as well as its operation and maintenance.

The SWP moves water from Lake Oroville in Northern California and through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Southern California, supporting millions of residents, businesses and farms. The District entered into a contract with DWR in 1962 for the delivery of 25,000 acre-feet of water per year from the State Water Project (SWP). In 1964, the contract was amended to allow for 28,800 acre-feet. The actual allocations each year for contractors depend on supply conditions such as rainfall, snowpack, and the amount of water in storage, as well as operational constraints for fish and wildlife protection, water quality, and environmental and legal restrictions.

The long-term sustainability of imported water deliveries has been a concern for many years in California, with a variety of proposals to achieve dual goals of water sustainability and preservation of the delicate Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta eco-system. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) supports the Delta Conveyance Project, which would build a tunnel under the Delta to improve supply reliability. In November 2020, the SGVMWD Board approved the use of $2.68 million to assist with environmental planning for the Delta Conveyance Project.