California's urban water users and farmers who rely on supplies from state reservoirs will get less than planned this year
FILE — In this Aug. 22, 2021, file photo, a family walks over cracked mud near Lake Oroville's shore as water levels remain low due to continuing drought conditions in Oroville, Calif. State water officials are preparing to tell major urban and agricultural water agencies on Friday, March 18, 2022, that they'll get even less water from state supplies than the small amount they were promised at the start of the year. Lake Oroville is currently 68% of its historical average supply.
“We are experiencing climate change whiplash in real time with extreme swings between wet and dry conditions. That means adjusting quickly based on the data and the science,” Karla Nemeth, director of the Califrnia Department of Water Resources, said in a statement announcing the cutback. January's water use was up 2.6% compared to the same month in 2020, amid dry conditions and warm temperatures.
California is in its second acute drought in less than a decade, and scientists say the U.S. West is broadly experiencing the worstPeople adapted their water use during the state's last drought, in part by ripping up sprinkler-hungry lawns and replacing them with drought-resistant landscaping. Many of those water-saving habits stuck.such as Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake remain below historical levels and less water from melting snow is expected to trickle down the mountains this spring.
beyond what was needed for immediate health and safety, such as drinking and bathing. The state upped that to 15% of requested supplies in January.
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