California Water Update

California Snow Water Content Shrinks, Reservoir Levels Fall

Three consecutive years of drought have left millions of acre-feet of empty space in reservoirs across California.

Statewide Summary of SWEQ
Data as of March 23, 2015
Number of Stations Reporting: 101
Average snow water equivalent: 2.6 Inches
Percent of April 1 Average: 9%
Percent of normal for this date: 9%

Daily Reservoir Storage Summary

Total Storage – March 24: 11,848,749 AF
Total Average Storage: 18,288,143 AF
Total % Group Average: 64.79%

Worst Hit Reservoirs
Exchequer Reservoir on the Merced River can hold more than one million AF, but its storage currently stands at about 90,800 AF feet—9 percent of total capacity and 16 percent of its historical average for this date. The reservoir’s storage continues to decline.

New Melones
Current Storage: 582,488 AF; 24% of Total Capacity; -1406 TAF Encroached For This Date
Total Capacity: 2,400,000 AF
Avg. Storage for Mar 23: 1,498,932 AF
TOC Storage: 1,988,750 AF
Daily Inflow: 320 CFS
Daily Outflow: 1,512 CFS

Lake Isabella
Data as of Midnight: March 23, 2015
Current Storage: 46,690 AF; 8% of Total Capacity; -303 TAF Encroached For This Date
Total Capacity: 568,000 AF
Avg. Storage for Mar 23: 196,555 AF
TOC Storage: 349,337 AF

Pine Flat
Current Storage: 177,387 AF; 18% of Total Capacity; -710 TAF Encroached For This Date
Total Capacity: 1,000,000 AF
Avg. Storage for Mar 23: 555,315 AF
TOC Storage: 887,727 AF

 Related Links

• Daily Reservoir Storage Summary
• Major Reservoirs Daily Graphs – Water Supply (PDF: 135KB)
• Major Reservoirs Daily Graphs (Interactive – Water Supply)

Source: Department of Water Resources
California Data Exchange Center

Californians Lose Collective Life Insurance Policy

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
ZERO SNOWPACK
CRITICALLY LOW GROUNDWATER LEVELS
WATER FAMINE
MAJOR CROP DISASTERS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
SCENARIOS 03, 04, 101
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

Golden State Loses Snowpack

California has lost all of its snow cover, as of June 3, 2014. Snowpack provides about a third of the water used by California’s cities and farms.

Source: Department of Water resources/ California Data Exchange Center

Impact of Drought on Calif Agriculture

California’s drought could cost farmers at least $2billion this year, forcing them to leave fallow more than a million acres of land.

Tens of thousands of full time and seasonal jobs could be lost as a result of the drought, now in its third year, described by officials as catastrophic.

 Crop Disasters in Calif

All of the 58 counties in the country’s most populous and 3rd largest state have now been declared crop disaster areas at least once this year.

Last Month …

Vital groundwater provides up to 60% of California’s water supply during droughts

California groundwater resources are at historically low levels, and recent groundwater levels are more than 100 feet below previous historic lows in some parts of the state, according to a recent report released by the California Department of Water Resources.

About 30 million Californians, over three quarters of the state’s population, receives at least part of their drinking water from groundwater, said California Water Foundation.

Groundwater is the only supply available for some regions during drought, and it’s critical to the state’s agricultural economy.

Drought causes water famine leading to crop disasters. It degrades water quality, and leads to surface and groundwater level declines, land subsidence, soil erosion, intense wildfires, humongous dust storms, and spread of disease.

Related Links

• Southern Sierra Loses Snow Cover May 27, 2014
• California’s Snow Story: Going, Going … May 21, 2014
• Calif SWEQ Drops to 0.6 Inch on May 20, 2014
• California Running Out of Snow May 17, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plagues 100% of California May 16, 2014
• California Groundwater Levels 100 Feet Below Previous Historic Lows May 7, 2014

Southern Sierra Loses Snow Cover

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
NEAR ZERO SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT
CRITICALLY LOW GROUNDWATER LEVELS
WATER FAMINE
CROP DISASTERS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
SCENARIOS 03, 04, 101
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

ZERO Snow on Southern Sierra Mountains

California’s Southern Sierra has lost all of its snow cover, as of May 27, 2014. Snowpack provides about a third of the water used by California’s cities and farms.

The statewide average snow water equivalent in the Golden State  dropped to less than 0.3 inch, or just 3% of the average for the date, and only 1% of the April 1 average.

The following is a summary of California Cooperative Snow Surveys as reported on May 27, 2014 .

Impact of Drought on Calif Agriculture

California’s drought could cost farmers at least $2billion this year, forcing them to leave fallow up to a million acres of land.

Tens of thousands of full time and seasonal jobs could be lost as a result of the drought, now in its third year, described by officials as catastrophic.

 Crop Disasters in Calif

All of the 58 counties in the country’s most populous and 3rd largest state have now been declared crop disaster areas at least once this year.

Disaster Applications

The Golden State has made 362 Disaster Applications to USDA, as of May 1, 2014, compared with 157 for the entire 2012, and 331 throughout 2013.

Three Weeks Ago…

Vital groundwater provides up to 60% of California’s water supply during droughts

California groundwater resources are at historically low levels, and recent groundwater levels are more than 100 feet below previous historic lows in some parts of the state, according to a recent report released by the California Department of Water Resources.

About 30 million Californians, over three quarters of the state’s population, receives at least part of their drinking water from groundwater, said California Water Foundation.

Groundwater is the only supply available for some regions during drought, and it’s critical to the state’s agricultural economy.

Drought causes water famine leading to crop disasters. It degrades water quality, and leads to surface and groundwater level declines, land subsidence, soil erosion, intense wildfires, humongous dust storms, and spread of disease.

Related Links

• California’s Snow Story: Going, Going … May 21, 2014
• Calif SWEQ Drops to 0.6 Inch on May 20, 2014
• California Running Out of Snow May 17, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plagues 100% of California May 16, 2014
• California Groundwater Levels 100 Feet Below Previous Historic Lows May 7, 2014

California’s Snow Story: Going, Going …

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
NEAR ZERO SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT
CRITICALLY LOW GROUNDWATER LEVELS
WATER FAMINE
CROP DISASTERS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
SCENARIOS 03, 04, 101
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

Snow Water Equivalent (SWEQ) Nearing Zero in Southern California

The statewide average snow water equivalent in California has dropped to less than 0.6 inch (~ 1.5cm), or just 4% of the average for the date, and only 2% for April 1.

The following is a summary of California Cooperative Snow Surveys as reported on May 20, 2014 .

Impact of Drought on Calif Agriculture

California’s drought could cost farmers about $2billion this year, forcing them to leave fallow up to a million acres of land.

Tens of thousands of full time and seasonal jobs could be lost as a result of the drought, now in its third year, described by officials as catastrophic.

 Crop Disasters in Calif

All of the 58 counties in the country’s most populous and 3rd largest state have been declared crop disaster areas at least once this year.

Disaster Applications

The Golden State has made 362 Disaster Applications to USDA, as of May 1, 2014, compared with 157 for the entire 2012, and 331 throughout 2013.

Two Weeks Ago…

Vital groundwater provides up to 60% of California’s water supply during droughts

California groundwater resources are at historically low levels, and recent groundwater levels are more than 100 feet below previous historic lows in some parts of the state, according to a recent report released by the California Department of Water Resources.

About 30 million Californians, over three quarters of the state’s population, receives at least part of their drinking water from groundwater, said California Water Foundation.

Groundwater is the only supply available for some regions during drought, and it’s critical to the state’s agricultural economy.

Drought causes water famine leading to crop disasters. It degrades water quality, and leads to surface and groundwater level declines, land subsidence, soil erosion, intense wildfires, humongous dust storms, and spread of disease.

Related Links

• Calif SWEQ Drops to 0.6 Inch on May 20, 2014
• California Running Out of Snow May 17, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plagues 100% of California May 16, 2014

Calif SWEQ Drops to 0.6 Inch

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME & EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
CRITICALLY LOW SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT
CRITICALLY LOW GROUNDWATER LEVELS
WATER FAMINE
CROP DISASTERS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
SCENARIOS 03, 101
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

California’s Snow Water Equivalent (SWEQ) Drops to 6% of the Average

The statewide average snow water equivalent in California has dropped to 0.6 inch (1.5cm), or only 6% of the average for the date, and 3% for April 1.

The following is a summary of California Cooperative Snow Surveys as reported on May 19, 2014 .

Impact of Drought on Calif Agriculture

California’s drought could cost farmers about $2billion this year, forcing them to leave fallow up to a million acres of land.

Tens of thousands of full time and seasonal jobs could be lost as a result of the drought, now in its third year, described by officials as catastrophic.

 Crop Disasters in Calif

All of the 58 counties in the country’s most populous and 3rd largest state have been declared crop disaster areas at least once this year.

Disaster Applications

The Golden State has made 362 Disaster Applications to USDA, as of May 1, 2014, compared with 157 for the entire 2012, and 331 throughout 2013.

Related Links

• California Running Out of Snow May 17, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plagues 100% of California May 16, 2014