Transfer of The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s 2026 State Water Project Table A Water to DRWD and/or KCWA

SWP Agreement 26016 authorizes a non-permanent transfer of up to 100,000 acre-feet of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's approved 2026 State Water Project Table A water to the Dudley Ridge Water District and/or the Kern County Water Agency. The transfer involves moving water from the Delta to specific turnouts within the California Aqueduct, specifically Reach 8D for Dudley Ridge and Reaches 9 through 16A or Reach 31A of the Coastal Branch for the Kern County Water Agency. This activity is located within Kings and Kern Counties and must be completed by December 31, 2026, for use in the respective service areas of the receiving agencies. The project is managed by the California Department of Water Resources and is designated as a Class 1 Categorical Exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 because it utilizes existing facilities and requires no new construction, modifications, or changes in land use. Key personnel overseeing the transfer include Patrick Luzuriaga from the Department of Water Resources, along with resource managers from the Kern County Water Agency, Dudley Ridge Water District, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.