Drought emergency declared in California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a drought in the state Wednesday after two years of drier-than-normal weather and court-ordered irrigation restrictions.
The declaration calls for increased conservation, more federal funding for water projects and the transfer of water to areas facing shortages. There might be rationing if the problem gets worse, the governor said.
“We must recognize the severity of the crisis we are facing,” he told reporters.
California’s last drought lasted from 1987 until 1994, costing the state as much as $1 billion in farming losses and increased electricity usage. The state accounts for about 13 percent of agricultural sales in the United States. About 43 percent of water taken from lakes and reservoirs is used for farming, according to California’s Farm Bureau.
Melting snow, which fills drinking-water reservoirs and irrigation systems for 36 million people, is at 67 percent of normal for this time of year, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
March and April were the driest months in the Sierra Nevada Mountains since 1921, the first year records were kept. Runoff into streams and reservoirs is only 55 to 65 percent of normal, the water agency said.
Water destined for Southern California also is being limited because of an August federal court ruling that water being sent from Northern California must be cut back to protect the endangered Delta smelt, a 2- inch-long fish killed by the water pumps.
Some local governments have already acted to cut water usage. The East Bay Municipal Utility District, the San Francisco- area district that provides water to Contra Costa and Alameda counties, has begun rationing water to cope with its worst water shortage in nearly 20 years. Among other steps, the new rules forbid residents from using fresh water for decorative ponds or using hoses to wash off sidewalks.
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said lawmakers need to reconsider his proposal to sell $11.9 billion in bonds for dams, reservoirs, river restoration projects, contamination prevention and conservation programs. The Legislature, controlled by Democrats, has resisted the plan.
“This drought is an urgent reminder of the immediate need to upgrade California’s water infrastructure,” he said. “While we can’t control Mother Nature, what we can control is how we prepare ourselves for future dry years.”
