While April’s rain showers certainly helped bring up Bay Area rainfall totals, they won’t be enough to stave off the state’s third year of drought, and that means round of strict city-level restrictions.
As of Friday, the state had received 15.63 inches of rain, 75 percent of the historical average, according to California Water Watch, which offers an online map searchable down to the zip code level.
The Western Regional Climate Center’s latest drought index map, updated April 11, showed coastal regions of the San Francisco Bay Area in a moderate drought, with some South Bay areas, south to Big Sur, already in severe conditions.
The National Weather Service Bay Area said Sunday the rainfall for the week ending April 19 resulted in Sonoma County being downgraded from extreme drought to severe drought but in most areas drought classifications were unchanged.
Following three of the driest months on record, as of April 1 California’s snowpack levels were well below average, and the outlook for water deliveries was grim. Officials from the California Department of Water Resources conducted their annual April 1 Sierra Nevada snowpack survey and found that levels were just 38 percent of average.
All this, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January emergency drought declaration, means another summer of water restrictions on local water customers.
The state emergency regulations mean residents must:
— Turn off decorative water fountains;
— Turn off/pause irrigation system when it’s raining and for two days after rain;
— Use an automatic shutoff nozzle on water hoses;
— Use a broom, not water, to clean sidewalks and driveways; and
— Give trees just what they need: avoid overwatering.
Water users experience drought differently, depending on the type of water supply being accessed and the user’s ability to manage drought impacts.
Most homes use more than half of their water on outdoor landscaping, so residents are advised to transition their yards to drought-tolerant plants.
Until they cease building new houses, importing new “citizens,” and refusing to add more water storage, my answers are as follows:
NO — Turn off decorative water fountains;
NO — Turn off/pause irrigation system when it’s raining and for two days after rain;
YES (I already do) — Use an automatic shutoff nozzle on water hoses;
YES (I already do) — Use a broom, not water, to clean sidewalks and driveways; and
N0 — Give trees just what they need: avoid overwatering.
+1
I’m shocked, shocked! Well…not that shocked.
Remove the 10-80 million illegal aliens and Americans will have enough power, water, and housing.
If NewScum says it, you should ignore it. He’s an absolute sleazy moron !
We could all be walking around knee-deep in potable water and there still would be a drought.
It’s not about the water, it’s about the control.
Sure there’s a water shortage, no one doubts that.
The question is how can a water district approve hundreds of new houses and still proclaim to be short on water?
Unless they plan to cut back even more water to the people.’
50 gallons a day sound about right?
It’s all a scam and the voters are being scammed.
In 2020 the Democrats inaugurated the first tranche of their decades long Hunger Games. You will be denied basic standard of modern life, little by little, as they become too expensive or simply unavailable. They will continue living lavish Hollywood lifestyle…….May the odds be evah in your favor…
Well, lets see, number of employees working for water agencies won’t go down. Yet they want us to use less water meaning less revenue . . . .
Another rate hike guaranteed.
CA needs to do what NV has done. All new housing must be zeroscaped. No lawns, no water sucking plants. Only allowed plants are those that can be watered by hand or via a minimal drip system. By nature CA is on the arid side. There is no need for a lawn. Seen many homes with beautiful zeroscape.
Water is for drinking and raising food. If people want a lush lawn and greenery mover to a state with plenty of water like OR or WA. No watering restrictions, no water limits
Newsom has our billions of surplus tax dollars, why isn’t he building desalination plants? and rain water retention facilities? … oh that’s right his pet projects and things like the high speed rail to no where…. anyway.. there must be enough water if they keep approving more housing starts by the thousands
The CCWD program to convert your lawn to CA native plants is a pretty good deal, especially since your design costs are refunded on top of the $1 per sq ft rebate. Not sure why more don’t take advantage. We see yards full of dead grass and weeds everywhere.
ranchgirl
Spot on. Several water agencies in CA & NV offer these programs. 2 more of my neighbors in Carson City have just taken advantage of the program and their yard look absolutely stunning with native plant and fabulous solar lighting.