As Drought Conditions Worsen, California Expands State of Emergency

Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was critical for residents to step up their water-saving efforts as the state ends its second-driest year on record.

Lake Hennessey is a reservoir for Napa, Calif. Severe drought conditions are causing alarmingly low water conditions across the state.
Lake Hennessey is a reservoir for Napa, Calif. Severe drought conditions are causing alarmingly low water conditions across the state.Credit…Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

By Derrick Bryson Taylor

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Tuesday issued a proclamation extending the drought emergency statewide and asked residents to redouble their water conservation efforts amid an exceptionally dry year when wildfires have ravaged large swaths of the state.

The proclamation allows the State Water Resources Control Board to ban practices that waste water, like the washing of sidewalks and driveways, the governor’s office said in a news release. Eight new counties were added to the state of emergency, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and San Francisco.

The move follows the second-driest year on record, with near record low storage in California’s largest reservoirs, the governor’s office said. In July, Mr. Newsom issued an executive order asking residents to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15 percent compared with 2020, and by August officials said the state had reduced urban water usage by 5 percent…...More Here

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2021 Hiram's 1555 Blog

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.