The State of California entered into long-term water supply contracts (Contracts) with water agencies in the 1960s. Under the contract terms, the Department of Water Resources provides water service to these public agencies, known as State Water Project Contractors, from the State Water Project (SWP) in exchange for payments that will recoup all costs associated with providing this water service over the life of the SWP. The majority of the capital costs associated with the development and maintenance of the SWP is financed using revenue bonds. These bonds have historically been sold with 30-year terms, but such bonds have not been sold with maturity dates that extend beyond the year 2035, the year the contracts begin to expire.

With each passing year it becomes more challenging to affordably finance SWP capital expenditures because bonds used to finance these expenditures are limited to terms that only extend to the year 2035, far less than 30 years from today. In order to ensure continued debt service affordability to SWP Contractors, it is necessary to extend the contract termination date. Contract extensions will allow DWR to again sell bonds with 30-year terms or longer, commensurate with the economic life of the project being financed, thus ensuring the debt service on these bonds remains affordable to SWP Contractors and their water customers.

Project Approval

The Director of the Department of Water Resources on December 11, 2018 approved the Water Supply Contract Extension Project. In accordance with CEQA, DWR also filed its Notice of Determination for the project with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. In addition, DWR filed an action in Sacramento County Superior Court to validate the Contract Extension Amendments. Documents related to these actions are linked below or available on request.

Approval Recommendation Memorandum
Model Execution Version of Amendment
Director's Project Approval
Notice of Determination
Lawsuit Complaint to Validate the Extension Amendments
Summons in Validation Lawsuit

Executed Contract Extension Amendments

The following contract extension amendments have been executed.

Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Zone 7
Alameda County Water District
Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency
Coachella Valley Water District
County of Kings
Crestline-Lake Arrowhead Water Agency
Desert Water Agency
Dudley Ridge Water District
Kern County Water Agency
Littlerock Creek Irrigation District
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Mojave Water Agency
Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
Palmdale Water District
San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District
San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
Solano County Water Agency
Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District
Ventura County Watershed Protection District

Schedule

DWR released the draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on August 17, 2016, and the public comment period closed October 17, 2016. DWR held a public hearing for the DEIR on September 12, 2016, at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in Sacramento, California. The final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was released on November 16, 2018. The FEIR, DEIR and related documents are available on request.

By letter dated May 10, 2018, to Senator Holly Mitchell, DWR Director Karla Nemeth, requested that an Informational Hearing be scheduled before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee regarding the SWP Water Supply Contract Extension. Such a hearing is required by Water Code Section 147.5. The request was accompanied by the Proposed Contract Extension Amendment, dated February 13, 2018. The Amendment is based on the Agreement in Principle resulting from public negotiations between DWR and the 29 water contractors that concluded in June 2014.

The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee held an informational hearing at the Capitol regarding the State Water Project Water Supply Contract Extension program July 3, 2018. A second informational hearing before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee was held on September 11, 2018.

Twenty-three contract negotiation sessions were held in 2013 and 2014. Materials from those sessions, including agendas, summaries, presentations, offers and counteroffers, are organized by year in summary documents that are available on request. 

EIR Documents

These Final EIR documents are available on request:

Memorandum
Certification
Final Environmental Impact Report
Final Environmental Impact Report Exhibit A
Final Environmental Impact Report Exhibit B

These Draft EIR documents are available on request:

Notice of Availability
Draft Environmental Impact Report
Appendix A—Agreement in Principle
Appendix B—Notice of Preparation and Comment Letters Received
Appendix C—Example Water Supply Contract
Appendix D—Financial Model
WSC Contract Extension Project—Notice of Preparation for the Environmental Impact Report