California Faces Water Cutbacks As Drought Looms

CALIFORNIA — Rain was sparse in California this winter, and bone dry conditions signal that the state could be heading into another year of drought. State and federal agencies warned farmers and residents to prepare for possible water shortages this summer.

"We encourage everyone to look for ways to use water efficiently in their everyday lives," said Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources.

The department said Tuesday that it would lower water allocations from 10 percent to 5 percent to cities and farms that belong to the State Water Project in response to worsening hydrologic conditions.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, meanwhile, said Tuesday that the 5 percent water supply designated for farmers in the Central Valley "is not available for delivery until further notice" because of worsening drought conditions.

"We are now facing the reality that it will be a second dry year for California, and that is having a significant impact on our water supply," Nemeth said.

The department is working with the federal government and state partners to "plan for the impacts of limited water supplies this summer for agriculture as well as urban and rural water users," she said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has not officially declared a drought, but meteorologists have all but made the call.

The department submitted a revised drought contingency plan to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to monitor the potential effects on the environment.

"Over the last two years, we slipped back into drought. We need a lot of rain and not just all at once. We need it over time," National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford told Patch earlier this month. "At this point, the likelihood of making up significant ground is low."

Since then, a rainy "March miracle" has not happened, save for a few fleeting storms.

About 95 percent of California is experiencing moderate to extreme drought, California's Water Resources Control Board said Monday. Reservoir and groundwater levels have fallen severely below normal levels, the board said. Storms showered California in early March, but the snowpack was only 58 percent of the average as of March 10, the board said.

"Continued dry conditions can threaten water supplies, impair critical habitat, reduce recreational opportunities and create uncertainty for all water users," the board said Monday.

The control board mailed this information as an early warning to 40,000 farmers, cities and other entities, advising them to gear up for shortages, The Sacramento Bee reported.

"Start planning now," the board said, adding: "Identify practical actions you can take to increase drought resilience, such as increasing water conservation measures, reducing irrigated acreage, managing herd size, using innovative irrigation and monitoring technologies, or diversifying your water supply portfolio."

Last year's water situation looked concerningly similar to that of California's drought years of 2014 and 2015. Officials will monitor the situation closely in case conditions worsen, they said.

Despite the warnings, "California is better prepared for drought than in the past," the water resources department said.

The U.S. Drought Monitor's map of California shows red and orange marks enveloping most of the state as most regions face moderate to extreme drought conditions.

More than 90 percent of the state is officially in a drought, and more than 99 percent of the state is abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Northern California and inland Southern California are the hardest hit areas, with several counties already enduring extreme drought conditions.

The water levels at the state's reservoirs are particularly worrisome. After two years of below-average rainfall, the state's water reservoirs are at between 38 percent and 68 percent of capacity, and the state's overall snowpack was at 61 percent of the March average as of earlier this month.

The cycle of drought and wildfires followed by rain and mudslides has increasingly become the norm for California. For now, California seems to be heading into another year of parched lawns and water conservation efforts trickling down to the average person.

"As dry conditions continue to persist, Californians should look at ways to reduce water use at home," the Department of Water Resources said earlier this month. "Each individual act of increasing water efficiency can make a difference."

Patch editor Paige Austin contributed to this report.