Drought: Santa Cruz County Plants At Record Low Moisture Levels

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Moisture levels of vegetation in San Cruz County are at or below historic low values for this time of year, officials said.

The Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit tested flora at various sites in both counties July 1 as part of its bimonthly effort to monitor moisture levels in plants. The decrease in water content was significant, Cal Fire said.

In 2020, moisture levels didn't dip this low until early to mid-August, according to Cal Fire.

The discovery comes months after researchers with the San José State University Fire Weather Research Laboratory made a historic discovery of their own.

"Wow, never seen April fuels look so ... dry," the lab said on Twitter. "No new growth anywhere."

More: 'Very Scary' Discovery Made In Santa Cruz Mountains

Last year the Golden State saw record-breaking, devastating wildfires such as the CZU August Lightning Complex fires that tore through 86,500 acres of the Santa Cruz Mountains, destroyed 1,500 buildings and left one person dead.

Just last week Gov. Gavin Newsom added Santa Cruz County to the list of those covered by an emergency drought proclamation, which now includes 50 of California's 58 counties.

He asked all Californians to reduce water consumption by 15 percent.

"We are now two years into a drought, having just come out of a five-year drought that concluded just a few years ago," Newsom said.

"Arguably, we have been in drought conditions as far back as 2000, not only here in the state of California, but all throughout the west coast of the United States."

More: Newsom Declares Emergency In Santa Cruz County

— Patch Editor Gideon Rubin contributed to this report