MORGAN HALL
LAYOUT ASSISTANT

On Wednesday, March 30, Governor Jerry Brown announced an end to California’s three-year long drought after one of the wettest winters since 1970, according to the state Department of Water Resources. The stormy winter brought more than 60 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with more snow expected to fall at the end of this month. State officials report that the snowpack found in the mountains is at 165 percent of normal for this time of year. When the snow melts, it should supply farmers and residents all across California with water during the summer in local lakes and reservoirs. Governor Brown’s announcement repeals former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2008 Declaration of a State of Emergency because of three years of extremely low water levels. Schwarzenegger advocated conservation until water levels rise and some cities imposed conservation measures on its citizens. In 2009, the San Diego region including here in San Marcos, deemed to be at a “level one” drought emergency, which called for all citizens to voluntarily conserve and reduce water by 10 percent. Conservation measures set in place included, but were not limited to, washing down paved surfaces, repairing any inefficient landscape irrigation that leaks, washing vehicles with a bucket of water and only watering residential and commercial landscapes before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

Cal State San Marcos did its part in water conservation by planting drought resistant plants around campus that require less water. The news of the drought being over left some residents relived since they can now water their lawns as much as they like, wash their cars everyday and even enjoy a glass of water without feeling guilty. Governor Brown still asks the California public to continue to conserve water. “While this season’s storms have lifted us out of the drought, it’s critical that Californians continue to watch their water use,” said Brown in his drought announcement. Although Brown feels that the drought is over for now, farmers and water officials worry about the future weather conditions. Water agency officials suggest that “The dry summer weather could bring a return to drought conditions.” The high amounts of snow and rain have left the California reservoirs at extremely high levels, but many water districts are having a hard time storing the surplus of water. Most of the older reservoirs in California, including the ones that facilitate water to San Diego, are not Temperance Flat Dam, which do not have the ability to store water.

Photo courtesy of nctimes.com