Schwarzenegger Declares California Drought Emergency

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Friday because of three years of below-average rain and snowfall in California, a step that urges urban water agencies to reduce water use by 20 percent.

"This drought is having a devastating impact on our people, our communities, our economy and our environment, making today's action absolutely necessary," the Republican governor said in his statement.

Mandatory rationing is an option if the declaration and other measures are insufficient.

The drought has forced farmers to fallow their fields, put thousands of agricultural workers out of work and led to conservation measures in cities throughout the state, which is the nation's top agricultural producer.

Agriculture losses could reach $2.8 billion this year and cost 95,000 jobs, said Lester Snow, the state water director.

State agencies must now provide assistance for affected communities and businesses and the Department of Water Resources must protect supplies, all accompanied by a statewide conservation campaign.

Three dry winters have left California's state- and federally operated reservoirs at their lowest levels since 1992.

Federal water managers announced last week that they would not deliver any water this year to thousands of California farms, although that could change if conditions improve. The state has said it probably would deliver just 15 percent of the water contractors have requested this year.

Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought in June but stopped short of calling a state of emergency. His 2008 executive order directed the state Department of Water Resources to speed water transfers to areas with the worst shortages and help local water districts with conservation efforts.

Over the last few weeks, storms have helped bring the seasons' rain totals to 87 percent of average, but the Sierra snowpack remains at 78 percent of normal for this time of year. State hydrologists say the snowpack must reach between 120 to 130 percent of normal to make up for the two previous dry winters and replenish California's key reservoirs.

Court decisions intended to protect threatened fish species also have forced a significant cutback in pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, the heart of the state's delivery system.

The governor, farmers and lawmakers have argued for years that California must upgrade its decades-old water supply and delivery system and build new reservoirs.

"The situation is extremely dire," said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies, adding that the governor's action Friday "underscores the urgency of serving the long-term structural problems."

The state delivers water to more than 25 million Californians and more than 750,000 acres of farmland.

Schwarzenegger's order leaves the door open for more severe restrictions later. Additional measures can include mandatory water rationing and water reductions if there is no improvement in water reserves and residents fail to conserve on their own.

At least 25 water agencies throughout the state already have imposed mandatory restrictions, while 66 others have voluntary measures in place.

The state prefers such local efforts so it does not have to call for statewide rationing, Snow said.

The federal government on Thursday created a drought task force to provide farmers technical assistance in managing existing water supplies. Farmers also could be eligible for federally-backed emergency loans.

Almond farmer Shawn Coburn of Mendota said the emergency declaration comes too late for many growers who already are halfway through the season. Some farmers didn't bring in bees to pollinate, while others sprayed their orchards with chemicals that keep nuts from forming.

"It's too late," he said. "It's going to sound horrible coming from a farmer because you never turn down help, but come on, this thing is over with."

___

Associated Press writer Tracie Cone in Fresno contributed to this report.

Comments

[economax]

01:26 PM on 02/28/2009

California is running out of liquid resources, literally.
(checkout http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2009/02/28/california-running-out-of-water-and-cash/)
The "Golden State" fails to balance its budget and in addition, the worst drought in decades forces utilities to restrict water use. The Californian governments have failed to raise taxes where necessary and cut unnecessary spending. Now the state is in that dire financial straits that even schools have to scale back. That's ashaming and undermining efforts to prepare American kids for the challenges of a 21st century global economy. While public spending in CA has got out of control in the last decade, the country's water infrastructure is chronically overburdened and rusting away. Central Valley farmers will have to turn to smart irrigation technologies that could help to save immediately 40% of the water required today to maintain the soil productivity of the San Joaquin Valley.
While droughts and wildfires will occur much more frequently in the future due to the impact of global warming, California should turn to the sun for future growth. The energy technology sector is a unique opportunity for Silicon Valley. Thin-film solar panels could cover sky scrapers in L.A. as well as roof shopping mall parking lots. If outlets were installed at most retail parking lots in CA, the batteries of electric cars could be recharged while drivers are doing their shopping. President Obama recently made it clear that energy will be one of his top priorities.

[helonias]

11:17 AM on 02/28/2009

Better start planting your lettuce and veggies at home.

[0ing0b0ing0]

10:35 AM on 02/28/2009

The plan calls for a 20% reduction in URBAN water use. HOw much of CA's water do urban areas use? 10-15% tops. 80% is used by AGRICULTURE. The use it or lose it water policy in CA leads to more water wasted by farming than cities could ever hope to waste. There is no incentive for farmers to conserve water by investing in new technology like drip irrigation. If they don't use their full allotment one year, they don't get it all the next year. They'll intentionally waste water just to keep their allotment where it's at. Cutting urban use by 20% won't make a dent. The water laws in CA needs to change in the industry of agriculture.

[Mekrabb]

01:41 PM on 02/28/2009

You do realize how expensive drip irrigation is right and that it will directly impact the price of food by the amount of labor involved in checking for broken and clogged drip line every day? The fact is the city of Los Angeles should of never of been built. Lets build a city in the middle of the desert with no river near by and instead build a canal from Stockton which is only about 350-400 miles away. Not only that but new holding ponds have been needed for more than 25 years but you know who keeps us from building them. It is time to abandon CA. No more immigration until they get it through their heads that there are way too many people here. The people south of the Grape Vine have been robbing the state's water for more than 60 years and it is time for it to stop.

[senorlou]

11:31 PM on 02/28/2009

I live in LA. We're not exactly a desert out where I live (San Fernando Valley). It looks like Ireland right now. Hills all green. I think a good part of the problem are the suburban lawns all over this town. In places like Tucson, people are not allowed to grow grass lawns. They plant local plants. We need to do that out here. Bunch of Olive plants and Oaks. I've seen people do cool stuff with native plants and pebbles. Also, there have been incredibly clever plans for rainwater runoff that were supposed to be carried out in parts of LA - this was about 7 years ago. That was axed. Every home was to have some kind of reservoir for rain runoff for gray water. I remember seeing the plans in the paper. It is a very human friendly environment - which is why we had thousands of natives living here for thousands of years. We're just watering the place like we're back in New York, and we're in LA. It's really dumb.

[redhead61]

09:17 AM on 02/28/2009

California needs to do several things. Desalination plants need to be built, reservoirs for water made from the water filtered through those plants and it should be done immediately.
Secondly, California needs to realize a state CAN get too big and something needs to be done to set stricter limits on growth. There is only so many resources available for so many people...When you reach the height of all limits...you have to realize you need to start to change your views on how many people can actually live in california because there is only so many resources that can be stretched so far..And though people LOVE the sunshine and beautiful weather, there is a price with mother nature. People have to realize that they are not always going to get to live in a place that has nice weather if they want to have water, good clean air, no worries over earthquakes etc... and move to some place where those things are not under such threat.

[Mekrabb]

01:43 PM on 02/28/2009

Well put. We can start with the esitimated 3 million illegal immigrants that live here. Then move on to taxing L.A. a lot more. They have had a sweet deal for way too long.

[radnip]

08:37 AM on 02/28/2009

This should be great fun. California supposedly produces much of the greens for the U.S. Without water...maybe we don't need all those vegetable servings they keep telling us we need.

I would love to see lawns go, but there's no hint of that discussion being serious yet. Too bad.

[senorlou]

08:25 AM on 02/28/2009

Arnold wrecked California by letting the energy companies that ripped us off in 2001 get away with $30-$70 billion. That money would have built a lot of reservoirs and water tanks.

[BethA]

07:55 AM on 02/28/2009

I live in California, we have growth because people ah...want to live here.
All those bashing us...don't come here, tell your family members to leave.
Ok, just exaggerating but bashing us isn't a solution, we contribute enormously...

But we've also suffered since Reagan was our governor on the failed Republican ideology of cut taxes, small government, don't regulate anything, don't modernize, and forget infrastructure....let the people help each other....anything goes!

When you let people do anything they want, they waste things like water. When it does rain, I constantly see the sprinklers going at homes and on the side of freeways. We need regulations to stop the waste and infrastructure to put modern solutions on waste such as the problems of toilets and uncontrolled sprinklers everywhere etc......

[radnip]

08:33 AM on 02/28/2009

We were told that high taxes would cause everyone to go away. Let's raise taxes some more, because it's obvious people aren't going away very fast!

[BethA]

07:44 AM on 02/28/2009

Why is Arnold punishing the farmers? There is so much waste here in California that it makes no sense to punish the one group who uses water to grow...ah food!

We've lived through many droughts in this state, there are many better options that have worked before and should be enforced now. There is so much wasteful habits that should be stopped first. Many other posters here have listed them all.

[Clem2]

06:28 AM on 02/28/2009

ONE: Stop building and overbuilding. WAY too much development. In fact, it should be scaled back... let's get some open space.

TWO: Stop hiring illegals. Talk about a "drain" on the economy....

[BethA]

07:41 AM on 02/28/2009

You going to pick the crops after all the illegals are deported? I live here, see the farm workers. I doubt many in the unemployment lines will work like that.
I wish it were that simple , the illegals seem to get a lot of blame. did in the California budget crisis. Many here think that if you get rid of all of them our economy would prosper, but the facts say they aren't our biggest problems.

I agree the situation with companies hiring without checking papers is wrong. But it isn't the solution to drought or the economy.

[IndianRidge]

12:06 PM on 02/28/2009

Beth, you are wrong, the illegal immigrants are the problem. These people have destroyed California's school systems, driven down Emergency Wards, flooded the state with people, and bankrupted every social service offered by the state. They have invaded and bred themselves into a majority. What they have done is extortion on the goodwill of America, first one anchor baby and then shortly followed by seven more babies, all on the dole.

[senorlou]

08:27 AM on 02/28/2009

Well, you are right about over development, but you're wrong about illegals. Ever tried picking crops for minimum wage for a living? I thought so.

[RButler]

06:18 AM on 02/28/2009

Don't keep building new homes. It seems every city in California want to grow some more, to grow it's way out of it's problems. But, growth is one of the problems. If growth solved problems, Los Angeles would be problem free. It's hopeless as long as humans are in charge.

[instagladiator]

08:54 AM on 02/28/2009

"It's hopeless as long as humans are in charge."

I think that sums it up. Mother Nature is telling California something, but they refuse to see it.

[stavros]

03:15 AM on 02/28/2009

Turn the dessert to green.
Return to the dessert or die.
No sympathy.

[senorlou]

08:27 AM on 02/28/2009

I love dessert. Chocolate cake is usually fantastic.

[instagladiator]

08:55 AM on 02/28/2009

I prefer dessert in the form of a crispy Banana Pie.

[andhakari]

02:46 AM on 02/28/2009

Too many people and not enough sense = drought. Get used to it because people aren't getting smarter but there are more of them every day. 70 million more every year.

[elcojonu]

01:46 AM on 02/28/2009

Desalinification is the way to go here; it's expensive now but, sooner or later we'll have to bite the bullet.

[elcojonu]

01:38 AM on 02/28/2009

The State Water Director is named Lester SNOW.
Well, what's he waiting for !

[CAHertzfe]

01:13 AM on 02/28/2009

Hmmmm ... new reservoirs sounds like infrastructure which sounds like an earmark. Sorry Arnold, your party wanted all earmarks removed or ignored. You'll have to pull yourselves up by your own bootstraps. Maybe you can ask your friends in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama for some charity. OOops sorry, they don't believe in charity unless you are rich. Now that CA is badly in debt and no longer rich, guess you ain't got any friends. Wow, some federal government help would be a God sent eh?