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Is the Drought Really that Bad? It Depends on How You Look at it
The Rowena Reservoir in Silver Lake | Photo by Atwater Village Newbie via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
According to the state's Department of Water Resources, "the mountain snowpack that feeds the state's reservoirs has reached 80% of normal for the date [.doc]," finds the LA Times. "Precipitation in the northern and southern Sierra has climbed above 90% of average and another storm is on the way." This comes after Friday when Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency regarding the drought.
That's a good thing, but the department also threw in this ringer: "So the same level of hydrology [that the state experienced] in 1991 produces more severe impacts," they said alluding to a now larger population, more farmers growing permanent crops and water restrictions on water deliveries from the delta. "That's what spurs us to talk about the potential for the worst drought."
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