Californians don’t have to worry too much about drought for the foreseeable future.
The state’s Department of Water Resources said Tuesday’s snowpack survey revealed the snowfall in the Sierra Nevada mountains is above average at roughly 113%.
“You can take a deep breath this year, but don't quadruple the amount of time in your shower,” joked California Governor Gavin Newsom who was on hand for the survey near Lake Tahoe.
Gov. Gavin Newsom had to wear snowshoes to follow a measuring crew across a meadow south of Lake Tahoe at Phillips Station, where in April 2015 predecessor Jerry Brown stood in a parched, brown field and ordered cities to cut water use by 25% due to drought.
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“We’re here nine years later reconciling the extremes, reconciling the extreme weather whiplash, and I think today punctuates the point,” Newsom said in a live stream.
California rain
While reaching just above average was good news, the current snowpack pales in comparison to April 2023, when the Sierra snow water content stood at 237% of average after a barrage of atmospheric river storms ended three years of drought.
That future may have to adjust anyway because of climate change. Newsom unveiled a new statewide water plan focusing on capturing more water runoff and snow melt while also preparing for dry years.
“We're going to build the first new reservoir in half a century,” Newsom said, referring to a planned facility north of Sacramento that is expected to hold a year’s worth of water for 3 million households.
The California Department of Water Resources early April survey marks the typical peak snowpack for the year in the Sierra Nevada, and the Colorado River Basin — the main source of water for San Diego County — also reports more snow than average for this time of year, according to a statement from the San Diego County Water Authority. The snowpack represents roughly 40% of California’s water usage. In the meantime, San Diego County is also sitting pretty.
The DWR performed its fourth snowpack survey of the year on Tuesday, "confirming that the early winter's "snow drought" gave way to a slightly above normal snowpack following a series of storms, the report read.
“We have a lot more water than we would in an average water year, and there's still more rain in the forecast,” said San Diego County Water Authority water resources specialist Efren Lopez.
Lopez said the county is flush with supplies because ratepayers have invested billions in infrastructure and have learned to conserve, and the area had 140% of its normal rainfall this winter.
“San Diego is in great shape," Lopez said. "We have water this year and for the foreseeable future."
Despite a state-wide drought from 2020-22, which forced water-use reductions for millions of residents, San Diego County has been largely insulated from the impacts. Additionally, the region has cut water demand per capita by more than 50% since 1990, the water authority reported.
"Wet years are the right time to prepare for the inevitable dry years," said Dan Denham, Water Authority general manager. "That's why we're working every day to explore creative deals that help us reduce water rate pressures for San Diegans, enhance our long-term water security, and help our neighbors meet their needs for drought-resilient water supplies."
The agency is working to sell or transfer some of its surplus water supply to areas with greater needs. A deal completed in late 2023 saved the San Diego region about $20 million, and a separate effort launched this year is under development, according to the water authority.
