California should expect a ‘fourth dry year’ as drought persists
From California’s drought to the Gulf Coast, the state is going deeper into the “extreme drought” category.
After months of rain, California continues to reel from record drought conditions. The first-ever year without a single month over the century-long monthly average as of Aug. 1.
The governor declared the first-ever state of “severe” drought on Tuesday. The state Department of Water Resources is predicting more than a third of the state’s water supply could be in jeopardy at any given time.
The drought could be felt across the nation. For example, Southern California could see its second-driest summer in a century, according to The Associated Press.
The drought has had an enormous impact on the state.
From California’s standpoint, the drought was just as big a disaster as its devastating wildfires in fall, which resulted in $1 billion in damage and caused nearly 500 deaths.
In addition, the wildfires prompted a major drought response from the federal government — with the California Legislature authorizing nearly $1 billion in aid from the state’s public water reserve.
State officials are now worried they could suffer even more losses if water supplies don’t return quickly, officials said.
So far, that concern has led to mandatory water restrictions.
The state Board of Equalization has restricted many water-consuming businesses such as landscapers and landscaping businesses. The board placed further restrictions on water use for certain businesses, including water-intensive landscaping and water retaiing.
In California, the government can impose a drought on any part of the state. However, there are guidelines to follow to determine whether the state is drought or not.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the drought is expected to continue because of warming trends in the Pacific Ocean bringing more rainfall to California.
“It’s going to be a wet winter, and the likelihood of a dry summer is higher, so
