Coalinga

What happened, and when

Every dated water event the register holds for Coalinga, newest first, each with the sources that document it.

1. March 16, 2023Restored

   Restored

   The City Council declared the drought emergency over and reverted to standard conservation after the wet 2022 to 2023 winter restored Central Valley Project supplies. The city remains wholly dependent on that one source.

2. July 1, 2021Restrictedon the card

   Restricted: what happened

   Coalinga depends entirely on Central Valley Project surface water delivered under a Bureau of Reclamation contract. After Reclamation limited the city to public health and safety deliveries in June 2021, the City Council proclaimed a Water Conservation Emergency on July 1, 2021 with mandatory cuts and drought surcharges, and continued it indefinitely that December. In 2022 the allocation fell to roughly a quarter of normal, officials projected the city would run dry by December, and the city bought 600 acre-feet on the open market for about $1.1 million, later reimbursed by a state grant.

   • City of Coalinga: Resolution No. 4054, continuing the proclaimed Water Conservation Emergency and establishing water shortage regulations (December 2, 2021)
   • Coalinga Press: Serious water shortage: city imposes restrictions (July 7, 2021)
   • ABC30 Fresno: Coalinga residents could have fines added to water bill if they don't conserve (July 21, 2021)
   • KVPR / SJV Water: Coalinga to keep taps flowing but at a hefty price: nearly $2,000 an acre foot (October 27, 2022)
   • SJV Water: State bails out Coalinga for water costs (November 3, 2022)