Following weeks of heavy rains and stormy weather, state officials announced the rollback of some drought restrictions.
Since the drought emergency was first declared in 2021, over 80 provisions have been included in the declaration, detailing the state’s response. Now, that number is being cut down to 33 provisions, representing a scaling back of the state’s response to drought in the state.
The Department of Water Resources announced they now expect to deliver 75% of requested water supplies to state water project contractors, which serve 27 million residents throughout the state. It’s a jump up from the previous 35% allocation announced in February.
The voluntary call for Californians to reduce their water use by 15%, which Newsom first made in July 2021, has also been rescinded.
Newsom first declared a statewide drought emergency in October 2021 due to record dry conditions. Officials say current conditions, boosted by the heavy precipitation Californians have seen in the last few months, have put the state in a better spot.
“Winter storms have helped our snowpack and our reservoirs,” Yana Garcia, California’s secretary for environmental protection, said. “We have seen Shasta fill significantly for the first time in years, bringing a lifeline of cooler temperatures to critical salmon.”
But one thing is clear: The drought isn’t over yet.
“It is and continues to be complicated,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “The conditions have radically changed throughout the state, but not enough in places like Klamath and around the Colorado River Basin to call for the end of the drought in California.”
Although recent storms helped California’s overall surface water supply, state officials say the multi-year drought severely depleted groundwater resources in parts. Garcia said areas depending on this resource will see drought impacts into the future.
“Groundwater basins have … been depleted by years of over-pumping and drought, and those will take time to recover,” she said. “The communities that rely on groundwater continue to need assistance and long term support for infrastructure and planning.”
Officials say groundwater typically accounts for about 40% of the state’s water supply, and up to 60% during a drought year. As a result, Newsom says strengthening groundwater systems will be key in adapting to future droughts.
“We have to respect and recognize that we designed a water delivery system for a world that no longer exists,” Newsom said.
Provisions allowing the state to take emergency action in those areas, like providing bottled water, are kept in place as a result.
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