So Far This Water Year, California Snowpack Disappointing - 70 - 80% Of Historical Average

[hatrack]

EDIT

Last spring was the driest on record and, in June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed the state to be in a drought, speeding transfers of water to areas with the most severe shortages and encouraging conservation efforts.

State hydrologists monitor snow on the Sierra and say that although the snowpack is deeper than this time last year, the depth and water content are 70% to 80% of average and below what is needed. Although they hope for more snowfall this month and in February, they are alarmed. "If we were to go into a third summer of dry conditions, it would be pretty tough in California and we probably would see some mandatory water rationing," says Don Strickland, spokesman for the state water department. "Nobody really knows at this point."

Water has been the center of epic struggles for longer than California has been a state, producing a system that pumps and pipes vast quantities of water long distances to sustain its population. Today, three-quarters of California's water is produced north of Sacramento, the state capital, and three-quarters is consumed south of there. The effect of the dry spell has been aggravated by court-ordered restrictions on pumping water out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for human uses to protect dwindling fish populations. Federal courts ordered limits on water exports in December 2007, and last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ordered a continuation of those limits to protect the delta smelt, a small fish listed as a threatened species.

The Department of Water Resources said those moves could permanently reduce by up to 50% water deliveries to cities, farms and businesses. "We are trapped in a fiscal system that pits my water needs against their water needs," says Tim Quinn of the Association of California Water Agencies, which represents 447 water systems.

EDIT

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-01-06-snowpack_N.htm

[XemaSab]

1. Forecast calls for sunny skies for the next two weeks

We're still picking lettuce, and Shasta Lake is 150.5 feet down from capacity.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist2/cctv/sm_pitriver.shtml

[Citizen Number 9]

2. Up here in Washington

we might have some extra right now......

too bad we can't just drive it down to you....

[hatrack]

4. Interesting.

Doesn't rainy season get going November-ish?

[XemaSab]

5. This is correct

We should get as much rain in the winter as Seattle, but NOT THIS YEAR. :(

(Wait, is that good or bad? :shrug: )

[tom_paine]

3. But...but...increasing arctic ice area, even 1mm thick, mean GLOBAL WARMING IS A LIBERAL LIE!

(do I really need to say :sarcasm: ?)