CALIFORNIA IN A DROUGHT EMERGENCY

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

With high pressure taking control of our weather for a few days, sunshine will stick around, with little in the way of interesting weather for us for the next several days. That in mind, I'd like to bring your attention to what is becoming an urgent matter some 3000 miles west of here: severe drought in California.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency on Friday for California in response to a 3-year below-average rainfall pattern in his state. This means that urban water agencies will be asked to lower their water usage by 20 percent.

Farmers and agriculture have been hit hard, as crop yields have fallen, and watering becomes harder and harder to accomplish. This has also led to the loss of thousands of jobs for agricultural workers across the state.

The next step? Believe it or not, mandatory water rationing is actually a feasible option at this point. At least 25 water agencies throughout the state have imposed mandatory restrictions, while 66 others put voluntary protocols in place. This is the preferred method that will lower the possibility of a state-wide mandatory rationing program.

Drought happens here as a result of below-average winter precipitation. Most of the water in California comes as a result of water melted from snowpack in the mountains that border the eastern side of the state. Less snow means less water in the warmer months... which is exactly what is happening right now.