Lauren Alkire (from left), Nick Ellis and Sean de Guzman, snow surveying and water forecasting managers, conduct their third snow survey of the season at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, California, on Jan. /3.
Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources via AP, File
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Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources via AP, File
Lauren Alkire (from left), Nick Ellis and Sean de Guzman, snow surveying and water forecasting managers, conduct their third snow survey of the season at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, California, on Jan. /3.
Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources via AP, File
SACRAMENTO, California — California is experiencing one of its driest spring-starts in decades, data showed Friday, and without a burst of heavy rain in April and May, drought. state will deepen, and that could lead to stricter rules on water use and some other devastating wildfire season.
The new results show that water in the mountain ice in California averaged 38%. That is the lowest level since the end of the last drought in 2015; only twice since 1988 have been lower.
State officials highlighted the severity of the drought as they stood at a snow gauge south of Lake Tahoe, where the landscape consists of more grass than snow.
“You need no more proof than standing here on this very arid landscape to understand some of the challenges we face here in California,” said Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources. “All Californians need to do their part.”
About a third of California’s water supply comes from snow as it melts and drips into rivers and reservoirs. April 1 is when snow cover is usually at its peak, and this date is used as a benchmark for predicting the state’s water supply during the drier, hotter summer months.
According to the state’s Department of Water Resources, about 11 inches (28 cm) of water is deposited in snow in the Sierra Nevada along California’s eastern edge. This is the lowest number since the depth of the last drought seven years ago, when California ended the winter with just 5% of normal water levels in the mountains.
These numbers mark a disappointing end to California’s winter, which began with major storms in December that averaged 160% snowfall. But there has been very little rain since January 1.
A storm that brought significant rain and snow to parts of the state earlier this week did little to change the course of the drought. And warmer-than-normal temperatures have caused the snow to melt and evaporate faster than usual, state officials said.
Much of the West is in severe drought
Nearly all of California and much of the western United States is in a state of severe to extreme drought United States Drought Monitor. Last July, California Governor Gavin Newsom asked residents to cut their water use by 15% from 2020 levels, but so far, consumption has only decreased by 6%.
The prolonged drought has prompted state officials to call on cities and other local water providers to step up their conservation plans. Local governments could take action by further restricting when people can water lawns and washing cars, limit the use of water for ornamental or ornamental purposes, and increase enforcement against those who leave faucets on. spray running water on sidewalks or engage in other wasteful behaviors.
Meanwhile, federal officials announced Friday that city and industrial users who rely on water from Central Valley Project will receive less than planned. The project is a 400-mile (644 km) system of reservoirs, canals, and dams that store and supply water in the central region of the state.
About 70 of the project’s 270 contractors receive water for homes and businesses in an agricultural area that includes greater Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Earlier this year, they were supposed to project 25% of the supply they requested, but the US Bureau of Reclamation has now said it will only receive what is needed for vital activities like drinking and bathing. A lot of urban water is used for outdoor landscaping.
Farmers who rely on water from the federal project were told earlier this year not to expect any water.
