Regional Pool

At the end of every water year on Oct. 31, account entities are allowed to carry over a portion of their unused C-BT Project water into the new water year. Unused water in excess of an account entities carryover limits accrue to the Regional Pool. If an account entity elects not to pay for the storage of carryover water, that water also accrues to the Regional Pool.

According to the Regional Pool Program rule, the Northern Water Board of Directors may allocate water from the Regional Pool only when C-BT Project reserves (as calculated in mid-November) exceed 200,000 acre-feet. The rule limits the size of Regional Pool allocations to 62,000 acre-feet per year. If the Board elects to make Regional Pool water available for lease, it may do so at any of its regularly scheduled monthly Board meetings starting in January. If the Board does not allocate all of the Regional Pool water in a given month, it can make more water available incrementally through September. 

All Regional Pool water will be available through a competitive sealed bid process. Once it is allocated, water will be leased to qualified water users who submit the highest bid per acre-foot. Both C-BT Project allottees and non-allottees can lease water from the Regional Pool. Revenue generated by Regional Pool Program leases will ultimately be distributed back to the account entities that provided water to the pool. 

Regional Pool Program water may only be leased for uses authorized by Northern Water and only within Northern Water’s boundaries. You do not have to be an allottee to bid on or use Regional Pool Program water.

Absolutely not. The Board will continue to declare an annual quota to owners of C-BT Project allotment contracts. Allottees will continue to have the flexibility to lease all, or a portion, of their respective quota water to other water users within Northern Water boundaries.