Mandatory water cuts for California drought

[WB Staff]

Houseboats are dwarfed by the steep banks of Lake Oroville in April. The state is enduring a drought emergency with water levels dropping in the state’s reservoirs. Water levels at Lake Oroville have dropped to 32% of its 3,537,577 acre foot capacity. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing too little too late to deal with California’s drought.

The state and the Bay Area just experienced the driest rainy season ever, Golden Gate Weather Services reported last week. California received only 11.46 inches of rain, a 126-year low that is less than half of the normal 23.61 inches. The Bay Area’s rainfall was even worse. The region had only 9.88 inches of rain this season, compared to its normal of 25.28 inches

Reservoirs are shrinking, fire danger is rising, and water supplies are tenuous.

The situation calls for the governor to issue a mandatory cut of water use. He instead last week asked Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15% and declared a drought emergency in nine more counties, including Santa Clara, San Mateo and Marin in the Bay Area.

FULL STORY https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/07/10/ ... ia-newsom/