Poll: Californians say drought is major crisis, see little effect on daily lives

In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014, is the Centennial Reservoir, one of the two water sources for the city of Willits, Calif. In the midst of a historic drought, the reservoir is only one-third full, forcing Willits city leaders to ban lawn watering, car washing, and mandated all residents to cut water use.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

A USC Dornsife/LA Times Poll finds that while 89 percent of Californians consider the drought a crisis, only 16 percent said it had a major impact on their lives.

Three years into one of the worst droughts the West has seen in decades, 9 in 10 Californians now say they consider the drought a "crisis or major problem," according to the latest poll from USC Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles Times.

When asked whether the drought has personally affected them to a major degree, a mere 16 percent said yes. 48 percent said it had made only a “minor impact.”

When it comes to finding solutions to the drought, those surveyed showed strong support for efforts like water recycling, capturing storm water and increasing storage in underground aquifers, but only about a third of those surveyed said they wanted to see taxpayer dollars go to improving water storage and delivery systems.

Lester Snow, executive director of the California Water Foundation, joins Take Two to talk about how public opinion works into finding solutions to the drought.