California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a drought emergency for parched water systems along the Russian River watershed that serve hundreds of thousands of people in two Northern California counties.
The emergency declaration will allow state agencies to consider relaxing some requirements for reservoir releases, allowing more water to be stored in reservoirs serving Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Most of the state is suffering severe drought conditions due to low rainfall and snowpack.
The Inland Empire is especially dry. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association shows that in Palm Springs, for example, rainfall is at just 15% of normal for the period of July 31 to April 17. In Thermal, it s even lower, at 11%. The City of Riverside is at 38% for that period.
Rachel Becker
CalMatters
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a drought emergency for parched water systems along the Russian River watershed that serve hundreds of thousands of people in two Northern California counties.
The emergency declaration will allow state agencies to consider relaxing some requirements for reservoir releases, allowing more water to be stored in reservoirs serving Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Most of the state is suffering severe drought conditions due to low rainfall and snowpack, but state water officials said that the other regions aren’t hit hard enough yet to declare a statewide emergency.
Standing on the edge of Lake Mendocino, a rain-fed reservoir rimmed with a cracked crust of mud, Newsom said he is preparing statewide by calling for a range of actions, such as improved monitoring of groundwater pumping and reporting of dry wells to the state.
Rain is on the way to SF Bay Area, but will it help?
FacebookTwitterEmail
Rain is on the way to the Bay Area this weekend.Christine Sarkis
The San Francisco Bay Area is expected to see the first widespread rain event of April this weekend, but experts say it won t make up for a water shortage left by two consecutive winters of below-average rainfall.
The system dropping down from the Pacific Northwest could arrive as early as Saturday night, but the best chance for showers is Sunday morning after sunrise and into the afternoon and evening. Light, scattered rain could linger into Monday before the storm exits the region.
Marin County is first in Bay Area to impose water use restrictions
FacebookTwitterEmail
Water rushes down the spillway as it is released from the Phoenix reservoir in Ross, Calif., November 2016. After an especially wet early rainy season, the reservoir had already reached full capacity by late November.Marin Municipal Water District
Marin Municipal Water District is the first major water agency in the San Francisco Bay Area to declare a water shortage emergency and impose restrictions on customers.
The district s board of directors voted unanimously at a Tuesday night meeting to approve parts of a program imposing mandatory water use restrictions, said Jeanne Mariani-Belding, a spokesperson for the district.
Governor Declares Drought Emergency in Northwest Counties
Lake Mendocino was largely dried up due to drought conditions in January. Photo by Bobby Cochran Photography courtesy of Russian River Flood Control, & Water Conservation Improvement District
###
California Gov. Gavin Newsom today declared a drought emergency for parched water systems along the Russian River watershed that serve hundreds of thousands of Californians in two counties.
The emergency declaration will give state agencies the power to relax some water quality requirements, allowing more water to be stored in reservoirs serving Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Most of the state is suffering severe drought conditions due to low rainfall and snowpack, but state water officials said that the other regions aren’t hit hard enough yet to declare a statewide emergency.