West side growers got an unexpected late-season boost this week. On Oct. 27, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation raised the 2026 Central Valley Project (CVP) allocation for south-of-Delta irrigation contractors from 28% to 31% of their contract totals, according to the agency’s announcement.

The 3-point bump is modest, but the timing is rare. It comes near the end of the contract year, after most harvests have wrapped and as forecasters warn of El Niño storms heading for California.

The stakes are large. The CVP holds more than 250 contracts and delivers water to about 3 million acres of farmland and more than 6 million Californians, according to Reclamation.

Why the extra water, and why now

Reclamation said the increase reflects better-than-expected water supply conditions in the off-stream reservoir south of the Delta, per its Oct. 27 release.

Because the water is already stored south of the Delta, the agency says the increase will not change Delta operations. All other CVP allocations set on May 19 remain unchanged.

“This additional water will help meet the needs of farms and communities across California,” said Adam Nickels, Reclamation’s acting regional director.

The agency framed the update as part of its work under Executive Order 14181, the January 2025 order directing federal agencies to maximize California water deliveries.

A long climb from 15%

The new 31% is more than double the 15% initial allocation set in February, reached through four increases over eight months.

Date	South-of-Delta ag allocation	Source
Oct. 27, 2026	31%	Reclamation release
August 2026	28%	Fresno Chamber of Commerce
May 19, 2026	25%	Reclamation
March 24, 2026	20%	Reclamation
February 2026	15% (initial)	Westlands Water District

In March, Reclamation also made about 222,000 acre-feet of water previously rescheduled by south-of-Delta contractors available for use this year, the agency said.

Westlands shifts from criticism to welcome

Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest agricultural water district, covers more than 1,000 square miles of farmland in western Fresno and Kings counties.

The district criticized earlier increases this year. In March, General Manager Allison Febbo called the 5-point bump “simply inadequate.” In May, she called that update “disappointing.”

This time, Westlands celebrated the news, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce reported. Febbo acknowledged that increases this late in the water year are unusual, but said current data show reservoir water that can be put to beneficial use now.

What growers should watch next

• Talk to your district. Ask how and when the extra 3% will be delivered, and whether unused water can be rescheduled into next year. South-of-Delta contractors have carried unused water forward before, per Reclamation.
• Watch the weather. A storm could hit California around Halloween, and the federal Climate Prediction Center expects a wet pattern through winter, Agri-Pulse reports. Strong winter runoff could shape 2027 supplies.
• Mark late February. Reclamation announced this year’s initial allocations on Feb. 25, according to the agency. The 2027 number will drive spring planting decisions.

Reclamation posts allocation updates on its California-Great Basin Region website.