After nearly 60 years of efforts to secure a water supply from New Melones Reservoir, Tuolumne Utilities District signed a long-term agreement with the federal government Thursday that the agency says could help protect Tuolumne County against future water shortages and interruptions. A news release from TUD stated that the agreement, signed Thursday at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Region 10 – California Great Basin Office in Sacramento, marks the culmination of decades of negotiations and planning. The contract provides access for purchasing up to 6,000 acre-feet of water per year from New Melones Reservoir, including 2,500 acre-feet for TUD and 3,500 acre-feet for the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California, which partnered with the district in pursuing the agreement.

Other water rights news:

• Cal Coast News (San Luis Obispo, Calif.): Clerk error leads judge to revoke Paso Robles basin quiet title ruling
• NBC Palm Springs (Calif.): Walter Clark explains why Coachella Valley Water District faces fight over water rates