With El Nino failing to produce the blockbuster rain many had hoped for this year, local water agencies are trying to nail down exactly how their customers will be impacted this summer and fall.
Heavy rain and snowfall in Northern California will help some Central and South Coast districts which get state water, while other districts dependent on local sources face yet more shortfalls.
The situation was a big topic at an Oxnard water conference which looked at the short term issue and creative long term solutions.
The water use restrictions you could face depend on where you live, and who supplies your water.
Water districts which get state water are in much better shape because of heavy rain and snowfall in Northern California, while districts which use groundwater in our region aren’t faring as well.
Eric Bergh is with the Callegas Municipal Water District. Berg says while Calleguas will once again stress conservation, it’s possible customers won’t face as tough water use restrictions this year.
Last week, State Department of Water Resources officials announced that the state will be able to give local water districts the most water than it has in four years, about 60% of what they are requesting.
Berg says for areas that don’t get state water, the outlook remains grim.
The rainfall totals tell a widely different story, depending on where you are in the state. Crescent City, in Northern California has had 107 inches of rain since last July, or 186% of average. Downtown San Francisco has received 22 inches, or 101% of average.
As you come to our region, the numbers begin to drop. Santa Maria recorded nine inches of rain, or 68% of average. Santa Barbara has had 10.3 inches, or 61% of average. Even worse, Camarillo stands at about 6.9 inches, or 48% of average.
Local water officials say they need to look at the problem from two directions, including dealing with the drought short term, and making long term plans to deal with future water shortfalls.
Joe Gibson helped organize a conference in Oxnard for water purveyors called “Perfect Storms: Managing Water in an era of mega-floods and mega droughts.”
One of the goals is to look at ways to better trap and use rainfall, much of which ends up in flood control channels and then flows into the ocean.
Gibson says the idea is to get water agency and flood control officials together to develop more ways to corral and reuse water which is now ending up in the ocean.
Water officials reiterated that while we did get some heavy rainfall in Northern California which is helping with the water crisis, the state remains in drought.
The bottom line to that message is that once again, conservation will be key for getting through the summer and fall months.
