California is experiencing its third straight dry year and many of the state’s reservoirs are at historic lows. Brown says he won’t make water conservation mandatory, but he says it’s important to “awaken” Californians to the serious issue.
Declaring a drought expedites water transfers to allow water to flow where it is needed most. It also relaxes some water quality regulations.
As part of the declaration, the California Department of Water Resources will also identify groundwater shortages and land fallowing and provide a update by April 30.
“We are in an unprecedented very serious situation and people should pause and reflect on how dependent we are on the rain, on nature and one another.”
~Gov. Jerry Brown
Don't expect El Niño to bring drought relief to California.
Stream fishing around Lake Tahoe and western Nevada is struggling because of the drought. But fishing may actually be better at the lake itself.
The U.S. Forest Service has wrapped up its hiring for firefighters to work on California's 18 national forests this summer.
The drought in California is causing saltwater to intrude deep into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Water managers are constructing a rock barrier to prevent salt from affecting drinking water for millions of Californians.
(AP) - The drought that's gripping California is beginning to reshape the landscaping industry. Gov. Jerry Brown is calling for Californians to remove 50 million square feet of turf to save water.