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California drought? We're not there yet Too soon to use the 'D' word
Published 6:37 pm, Sunday, January 12, 2014
For days now, Californians have looked skyward each morning, searching for the merest hint of rain. So far, they've mostly been unrewarded (although San Francisco did record 0.02 inches last week). Now the drumbeat to use the 'D' word is getting louder.
Yes, 2013 was the driest year in California on record. Yes, scant rain has fallen this winter, but historically, California receives most of its rain and runoff between January and April. We have weeks to go before the real worry should set in.
Legally, drought means much more than no rain. It means the governor, by making the declaration of a drought emergency, may lift environmental protections that help our bay-estuary to allow water transfers to other parts of the state.
A declaration doesn't create water or money. It may allow the governor to redirect certain funds, typically unspent water bond funds. Those dollars are scarce, however, with the last water bond in 2009.
In anticipation of continued dry weather, the governor did issue an executive order in May to expedite water transfers "from voluntary sellers to voluntary buyers," according to the Department of Water Resources. Water transfers aren't in themselves bad - they are how Bay Area water agencies have prepared to weather this dry period.
The question before the governor takes that step is this: Does it make economic sense to drop environmental protections to move around more water? The governor's Drought Task Force is meeting weekly but so far has made no recommendation.
Bay Area water agency officials also are watching the skies and their reservoir levels, which are not unusually low but are unusually slow to fill this year. They are asking their customers, for whom as Californians water conservation is a way of life, to voluntarily do a little bit more to use water wisely. Check for plumbing leaks, bring your car to a car wash that recycles water, don't spray down your sidewalks.
Many water districts are offering rebates for water-conserving measures such as installing high-efficiency toilets or replacing lawns with drought-tolerant plantings.
But so far, no one except for the San Joaquin Valley growers and their advocates, is using the "d" word. It's premature at this point.