The 2026 water year is presenting highly unusual conditions: Pine Flat storage for People's Ditch is nearly 100% full, yet the April–July runoff forecast has dropped to just 48% of average (~570,000 acre-feet). To avoid losing stored water while stretching supplies through peak summer demand, staff outlined a scenario to run water for 2–3 weeks in April on the People's Main and Settler system only (no Riverside, no New Deal, no Dutra Ditch, no deliveries through Hanford). The system would then potentially be off for most of May (scenario), with a targeted restart in late May heading into a roughly 60-day June–July run. Growers on systems not included in the April run should plan accordingly for delayed deliveries.
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