After three of the driest years on record, the state experienced an extreme spate of winter storms that dropped massive amounts of snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains and filled rivers and reservoirs.
As a result, Governor Newsom on March 24 lifted some drought emergency restrictions, including his call on all Californians to reduce water use by 15 percent. He had issued that call to action in July 2021 and then a few months later in October 2021 the statewide drought was issued.
The Governor also rolled back the directive for water agencies to be at Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which will further ease restrictions once the State Water Board and local water agencies take action. Check with your local water agency for updates.
The drought restriction changes came on the same day that the State Department of Water Resources announced an increase in State Water Project allocations to its 29 member agencies, including Desert Water Agency and Coachella Valley Water District.
The State Water Project is California’s vast water system of canals, pipelines and reservoirs that help deliver water to 27 million Californians.
DWA and CVWD now expects to receive 75 percent of its requested water supplies, which is up from the 35 percent announced in February. This increase is due to the series of winter storms and 19 atmospheric rivers since late December.
This is good news for the Coachella Valley because water runoff from the Sierra Nevada snowmelt and reservoirs in Northern California help replace the water pumped out of the ground for customers.
While the state’s water outlook has improved, challenges still remain. The Colorado River Basin, a key water supply source for the region is still in drought.
That’s why all the local water agencies continue to work with customers on ways to save water and adapt to a hotter and drier future.
For information on how you can help conserve, go to our Save Page.
