海角大神

California鈥檚 water supply is dwindling by the day, and it shows no signs of slowing down. 聽

In published in the LA Times last week, NASA鈥檚 Jay Famiglietti sums it up: 鈥淩ight now the state has only about one year of water supply left in its reservoirs, and our strategic backup supply, groundwater, is rapidly disappearing.鈥�

While that appears to be enough to keep the Golden State afloat, so to speak, a little while longer 鈥� Mr. Famiglietti has to clarify his statement 鈥� it does mean that, based on current and previous data, California is running out of water, fast. It also means that if there was any time for Californians to get their conservation game on, it鈥檚 now.

First, a quick look at the numbers: The three main water sources sustaining California are water in reservoirs, water pumped from underground aquifers, and mountain snowpacks. As of January last year, by an extended dry period, according to the state鈥檚 Department of Water Resources.

The Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins have been losing volume by 鈥� more water than the population of California uses for municipal and domestic purposes annually, according to data collected via NASA鈥檚 Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite mission, or GRACE.

About 60 percent of that loss is due to depleting groundwater beneath California鈥檚 Central Valley, according to the researchers who analyzed the data.

Up in the Sierra Nevada mountains 鈥撀爓here the snow serves as the main water supply for the western United States,聽particularly in the summer 鈥撀爐he numbers aren鈥檛 looking good, either: This month, California鈥檚 Department of Water Resources found the water content in the mountain snowpack at only 19 percent of the early-March historical average, continuing a years-long downward trend.

鈥淭he only year it was lower was 1991 when it was 18 percent,鈥� DWR public information officer Doug Carlson told 海角大神 when the data came out. 鈥淲e are right on the cusp of the worst reading since 1950.鈥�

Rising temperatures aren鈥檛 helping. Not only was 2014 California鈥檚 , it also marked the state鈥檚 ever; the average temperature from November to January was 49.5, about 4.5 degrees warmer than the 20th century average, .

The high temperatures mean that even when there was precipitation, it didn鈥檛 deliver the much-needed snowfall to the Sierra snowpack.

鈥淲e're not just up a creek without a paddle in California,鈥� Famiglietti wrote in his op-ed, 鈥渨e're losing the creek too.鈥�

While there鈥檚 cause for major concern, the fight isn鈥檛 over yet.

Famiglietti suggested several steps to take: immediate mandatory water rationing across the state鈥檚 water sectors; acceleration of the , which requires the formation of groundwater sustainability agencies within the next two years; and the creation of a state task force that focuses on long-term water management strategies.

Also, he wrote, 鈥渢he public must take ownership of this issue.鈥�

There are some signs that they have. In November, Californians voted to pass , which designates about $7.5 million for groundwater storage, water recycling and conservation, groundwater cleanup, and other projects.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has also for ditching a regular grass lawn and replacing it with 鈥渨ater-wise landscape features鈥� from $2 to $3 per square foot to $3.75.

Students at California State University-Los Angeles pledged to 鈥淕o Dirty for the Drought,鈥� postponing washing their cars, the Monitor reported in November. Social media has also been helpful, with various hashtags bringing awareness to the public about small steps they can take.

鈥淭he idea of this was to get people talking about the drought,鈥� Rachel Stich, communications director for LA Waterkeeper, which started #DirtyCarPledge, told the Monitor. 鈥淣ow people tell us that even if they don鈥檛 want to leave their car filthy, they鈥檙e ready to take shorter showers or get a low-flush toilet.鈥�

鈥淭his crisis belongs to all of us,鈥� Famiglietti reminded the public in his op-ed. 鈥淭oday, not tomorrow, is the time to begin.鈥�