California suffering through driest three years ever recorded, with no relief in sight
(WASHINGTON, DC) – California’s drought has left communities in parched parts of the state without a water source to save the residents, their homes and businesses from water shortages.
According to the California Department of Drinking and Water, the three years from 2015 to 2017 were the driest such period in the state since records were first kept in 1895. In addition, the state’s total water supply fell short of targets set at an historic high.
“The State Water Project, the only source of water that provides water to most of California, was only supplying 29 percent of the state’s needs during this period. A drop of more than 50 percent from the target of 60 percent,” said CalWater Director Gary Yee.
“The State Water Project had been on a downward trend since 1995 when a severe drought struck the state,” Yee said. “But the recent drought has not resulted in significant increases in water use or conservation.”
The Water Department reported that as of December 21, 2017, there was an average deficit of 41,636 acre feet of water in the State Water Project’s water supplies in California. That translates to 10 percent of water used by the state to satisfy human consumption and the other 90 percent going to the agriculture industry.
“In the last two years, the State Water Project has been averaging 40 percent of the state’s water use. That is far short of the 55 percent our state officials claim we use,” Yee said.
“This is not a drought. It is not a severe drought. It is more of a serious shortage,” Yee said. “The State Water Project’s water deliveries to our cities, farms and businesses are still increasing. The state still needs a long-term supply to assure we have access to water.”
As of December 21, 2017, California