July 8, 2021- 6:50 p.m.
Gavin Newsom’s request is not an order, but it demonstrates the growing challenges of a drought that will only worsen throughout the summer and fall and is tied to recent heatwaves.
Reservoirs across the state, which are depended on for agriculture, drinking water and fish habitat, have dwindled to dangerously low levels and some counties have already enacted mandatory water restrictions.
California’s governor has asked people and businesses to voluntarily cut their water use by 15% as the western US weathers a devastating drought.
Newsom also added nine counties to an emergency drought proclamation that now covers 50 of the state’s 58 counties.
“Given how low the reservoirs are going to be at the start of next year, the governor wanted to issue the voluntary call in the event that next year is also dry,” said Karla Nemeth, the director of the California department of water resources. “The voluntary conservation is as much about planning for a dry next year as anything.”
Large cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, are not included under the emergency proclamation. But Newsom is still asking those who live in heavily populated areas to reduce their water consumption because they rely on rivers and reservoirs in drought-stricken areas for much of their supply.
A historic drought tied to the climate crisis is gripping the US west and comes just a few years after California declared an end to its last dry spell in 2016. The earlier drought in California depleted groundwater supplies and changed how people use water, with many ripping out landscaping and replacing it with more drought-tolerant plants.
Compared with before the previous drought, urban water usage in California is down an average of 16%. But scientists say this drought is already hotter and drier than the previous drought, accelerating the impact on people and the environment.
Some of the state’s most important reservoirs are at dangerously low levels. Lake Oroville in northern California is at 30% capacity, and state officials worry water levels could get so low they might have to shut down a hydroelectric plant later this year. Along the Russian River, officials fear Lake Mendocino could empty later this year.
Some local water agencies have already implemented mandatory water restrictions.
Counties added to the state’s emergency proclamation include Inyo, Marin, Mono, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. The affected counties make up 42% of the state’s population.
Counties included in the proclamation are eligible for various state actions, including suspending some environmental regulations.
