"The Bureau of Reclamation is asking its contractors receiving Central Valley Project water for municipal and industrial use to begin planning for potentially extremely limited water supply conditions in 2023," the Reclamation Bureau said in a press release.
If drought conditions extend into 2023, the release added, the bureau will find it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to meet all the competing needs of the Central Valley Project without implementing more severe water conservation actions.
The bureau said that water storage is currently at historic lows in the reservoirs that it operates in the state of California. The 2023 water year began on October 1st, and the Shasta Reservoir, which is California's largest, is sitting at 31% capacity, according to the agency.
Water storage conditions will continue to be monitored, and the Reclamation Bureau will announce initial water supply allocations in February, the release added.