The state is being very cautious in it’s initial water allocations for 2020. The Department of Water Resources has announced an initial State Water Project allocation of just 10 percent for the new year. State allocations are based on conservative assumptions and will probably change, depending on rain and snow received this Winter. This was the case last year, which also started out with a 10 percent allocation. Lake Oroville, the State Water Project’s largest reservoir, is currently at 54 percent of capacity and 90 percent of average for this time of year. Shasta Lake, the Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir, is at 71 percent of capacity and 119 percent of average. The state provides water to 29 contractors who supply water to more than 27 Million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland. The season’s first snow survey at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada is set for January 2nd. On average, the snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs as it melts in the Spring and early Summer.