Drought likely to be declared in California

By on January 17, 2014
Earth and Atmosphere News


The ongoing drought in California has reached a turning point, according to the Los Angeles Times. Gov. Jerry Brown is set to formally declare the state in drought.

The California Department of Water Resources must first draft an emergency drought declaration for Brown to consider. But once a declaration is made, it may become easier to transfer water between the northern and southern halves of the state. Reservoir managers would also be able to keep more water behind dams, according to KTVU.

Nearly 90 percent of the state is affected by the drought. Figures from NASA’s GRACE satellite show far below-average soil moisture for the state. Low snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains is partly to blame. California relies on the snow’s melting to maintain its water supply – as of January 14, snowpack was at 15 percent of average levels.

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