海角大神

The latest data on rain and drought in the聽Golden State are a聽shade better than last year at this time. But, given that this past year was nearly the worst on record, 鈥渢hat makes this current news pretty abysmal,鈥� says Jay Lund, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis.聽

According to Tuesday calculations by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), which聽conducts monthly measurements during the winter, the聽all-critical聽snowpack聽in the California Sierras is at just 19 percent of the early-March average, a nearly historic low.

鈥淭he only year it was lower was 1991 when it was 18 percent,鈥� points out DWR public information officer Doug Carlson. 鈥淲e are right on the cusp of the worst reading since 1950,鈥� when current record keeping began.

The snowpack is vital to the overall water supply in the state, providing some 30 percent of water needs as it melts into rivers, lakes, and streams throughout the spring and summer months. The DWR has one more聽measurement scheduled on聽April 3.

Additional data released聽Tuesday聽show that the state鈥檚聽two largest reservoirs 鈥� Lake Oroville聽and Lake Shasta 鈥� are also seriously depleted. Oroville聽stands at 49 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity, while Shasta is at 58 percent of a 4.5 million acre-foot potential.

Add to that the equally sobering news that Californians slipped in statewide water conservation from a 22 percent savings in December down to 8 percent the following month. January stands as the driest on record: San Francisco had no precipitation at all during the month, which may account for the uptick in urban water use.

Nonetheless, Californians are clearly not doing their part, says Max Gomberg, senior environmental scientist for climate change at the State Water Control Board.

Urban water use represents some 20 percent of human water consumption, he notes, with agriculture聽accounting for聽a hefty 80 percent. The economic impact on farming in California is likely to become even more serious.

鈥淲e already have thousands of farmworkers out of jobs,鈥� Mr. Gomberg says, as well as聽land being fallowed and drastic cutbacks in water deliveries in place.

鈥淭here is much more that can be done at the urban聽level,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here are still many lush green lawns around this state,聽which is a luxury that the state, now in its fourth year of drought, cannot afford.鈥�

Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has called on Californians to cut water consumption by 20 percent statewide. While the current data show residents falling short,聽some 95 percent of communities do have some聽form of mandatory water restrictions in place. These include bans on lawn watering during the day and hosing down driveways.

The data are intended to highlight how much more needs to be done, Gomberg says.

鈥淭he drought situation is so dire,鈥� he says. If the current situation continues, while the snowpack dwindles and ground-water basins are being depleted, 鈥渨e have no more reserves to rely on.鈥�