California's urban water users and farmers who rely on supplies from state reservoirs will get less than planned this year
Water agencies that serve 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland, will get just 5% of what they've requested this year from state supplies beyond what's needed for critical activities such as drinking and bathing.
State water supplies aren't the only source for many of California's water agencies. But the minimal allocation means calls for conservation are likely to continue, with state and local officials urging people to take shorter showers, pack full washing machines and dishwashers, and use less water on lawns and washing cars.
Earlier this year the state banned certain wasteful water practices such as watering lawns right after rainstorms and letting sprinklers run onto sidewalks. But beyond that, Newsom's administration hasn't mandated water cutbacks, as former Gov. Jerry Brown did during the state's last drought, which lasted from 2012 to 2016. But California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said recently that local or regional governments might issue their own water use curtailment orders.
Current predictions estimate the state will have about 57% of its historical median runoff this April through July, said Alan Haynes, hydrologist in charge for the California Nevada River Forecast Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Melted snow traditionally provides about a third of the state's water supply.
The state needs to plan for future droughts by spending money to line canals so they don't leak and protect against water loss, improve groundwater basins and provide more financial incentives for people to make their properties more drought friendly, said Jennifer Pierre, general manager for the State Water Contractors, which represents the agencies that rely on state supplies.
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