869 AXUS76 KSTO 162231 DGTSTO CAC003-005-007-009-011-017-021-033-057-061-063-067-077-089-091-095- 099-101-103-113-115- DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 330 PM PDT MON MAR 16 2009 ...PERIODS OF WET AND UNSETTLED WEATHER TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE LATTER PART OF MARCH... ...PLEASE NOTE...ANY DROUGHT DECLARATIONS ARE DECIDED BY INDIVIDUAL STATES...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOES NOT MAKE DROUGHT DECLARATIONS... SYNOPSIS...THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DECLARED DROUGHT ON JUNE 4, 2008. THE US DROUGHT MONITOR IS NOW INDICATING A MODERATE DROUGHT (CLASSIFICATION D1) FOR MOST OF THE SACRAMENTO RIVER BASIN...WITH A SEVERE DROUGHT (CLASSIFICATION D2) ACROSS PORTIONS OF LAKE...PLUMAS...AND SIERRA COUNTIES. ALTHOUGH THESE DROUGHT CLASSIFICATION HAVE BEEN REDUCED FROM AN EXTREME DROUGHT (CLASSIFICATION D3) BECAUSE OF THE PRECIPITATION IN LATE FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH AS WELL AS THE CURRENT RESERVOIR STATUS...THIS IS STILL THE THIRD DRY YEAR ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...WITH MANY IMPACTS CONTINUING TO OCCUR AS THIS TIME. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...AS OF JANUARY 29TH...FIFTY SIX OF CALIFORNIA/S FIFTY EIGHT COUNTIES HAD BEEN GIVEN DISASTER DECLARATIONS AS DROUGHT HAS DEVASTATED AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES...INCLUDING ALL THE COUNTIES WITHIN THE NORTHERN INTERIOR. GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS AND EMERGENCY LOANS. IN SOME COUNTIES...THIS INCLUDES FUNDS FOR SIGNIFICANT LOSSES TO RANGELAND AND LIVESTOCK FORAGE THAT OCCURRED DURING 2008. A NUMBER OF CITIES...WATER DISTRICTS...AGENCIES...AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE NORTHERN INTERIOR ARE ALSO ASKING FOR EITHER VOLUNTARY REDUCTIONS AND CUTBACKS UP TO 15 PERCENT IN WATER USAGE OR ALTERNATING WATER DAYS. THESE INCLUDE THE SACRAMENTO SUBURBAN WATER DISTRICT...CALIFORNIA AMERICAN WATER COMPANY...CARMICHAEL WATER DISTRICT...CITRUS HEIGHTS WATER DISTRICT...THE CITY OF WEST SACRAMENTO...DEL PASO MANOR WATER DISTRICT...FAIR OAKS WATER DISTRICT...FRUITRIDGE VISTA WATER COMPANY...ORANGEVALE WATER...RIO LINDA ELVERTA...SACRAMENTO COUNTY WATER AGENCY...REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY...SAN JUAN WATER DISTRICT...SACRAMENTO SUBURBAN WATER DISTRICT...THE CITY OF DURMAN...THE CITY OF WILLITS...THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH...THE AMADOR WATER AGENCY...THE CITY OF STOCKTON...STANISLAUS COUNTY...STOCKTON EAST WATER DISTRICT...CALAVERAS COUNTY WATER DISTRICT...AND TULARE COUNTY. A FEW CITIES ARE NOW ASKING FOR MANDATORY CUTBACKS RANGING BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT...DEPENDING ON USAGE...WHICH INCLUDE THE CITIES OF ROSEVILLE AND FOLSOM. A COUPLE OF WATER AND IRRIGATION DISTRICTS HAVE HAD TO TAKE MORE DRASTIC MEASURES. THESE INCLUDE BROWNS VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT...BELLA VISTA WATER DISTRICT...NEVADA IRRIGATION DISTRICT...AND THE TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT. THE BROWNS VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT IS NOT DELIVERING WATER TO CUSTOMERS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF EACH WEEK...AND THE BELLA VISTA WATER DISTRICT HAS ADOPTED A DROUGHT SURCHARGE IF WATER USAGE EXCEEDS 75 PERCENT OF WATER USED DURING THE PAST WATER YEAR. THE NEVADA IRRIGATION DISTRICT IS OPERATING ON RESERVES...AND WILL BE PURCHASING WATER NORMALLY ALLOWED TO RUN DOWNSTREAM. THE TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT IS ALSO REDUCING ALLOTMENT FOR THE GROWERS...ESTABLISHING A MANDATORY CAP ON WATER USE PER ACRE. SHASTA DAM HYDROELECTRIC PLANT HAS CUT BACK POWER PRODUCTION NEARLY IN HALF BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RAIN AND LOW WATER LEVELS IN SHASTA RESERVOIR. AS A RESULT...THE REDDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN ELECTRICAL RATE INCREASE OF EIGHT PERCENT FOR ELECTRICAL CUSTOMERS. LAKE OROVILLE ALSO REDUCED POWER GENERATION DUE TO LOW WATER LEVELS. IN LATE FEBRUARY...THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION ANNOUNCED THAT SOME AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORS STAND TO RECEIVE NO WATER DELIVERIES THIS YEAR...WHILE MUNICIPAL CONTRACTORS CAN COUNT ON RECEIVING A 50 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL SUPPLY. MEANWHILE...DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ANNOUNCED THAT URBAN AND AGRICULTURAL CUSTOMERS OF THE STATE WATER PROJECT STAND TO RECEIVE JUST 15 PERCENT OF REQUESTED SUPPLIES. THE US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES CONTINUE TO SEEK PERMISSION FROM THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD TO RETAIN ADDITIONAL WATER IN THE RESERVOIRS...SO SPAWNING SALMON WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT WATER LATER INSTEAD OF RELEASING WATER DURING THE SPRING AS THE AGENCIES NORMALLY DO. THE CENTRAL VALLEY FARMERS ARE ALSO CUTTING BACK ON THE EXTENT OF THE ACREAGE DEVOTED TO TOMATOES...LETTUCE...AND MELONS BECAUSE OF AN EXPECTED REDUCTION IN WATER ALLOCATIONS. THIS REDUCTION IS AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE PERMANENT CROPS SUCH AS ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS. ORANGE...ALMOND...AND PISTACHIO CROPS IN THE NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARE SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF DAMAGE. CLIMATE SUMMARY...THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN DRY YEARS FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...WITH THE 2006-2007 SEASON BEING CLASSIFIED AS A DRY YEAR AND THE 2007-2008 SEASON BEING CONSIDERED ABNORMALLY DRY. THESE TWO DRY YEARS ARE COMPARABLE TO THE START OF THE DROUGHT OF THE LATE 1980S. SINCE SEPTEMBER...A NUMBER OF SYSTEMS HAVE MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...BRINGING PERIODS OF VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THESE STORMS MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE LATTER HALF OF FEBRUARY AND THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF MARCH...BRING HEAVY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE REGION...AS WELL AS GUSTY WINDS. THESE RAINS HELPED INCREASE THE CURRENT WATER YEAR PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR THE VALLEY MOSTLY INTO THE 70 AND 80 PERCENT RANGE...WITH THE ONE EXCEPTION BEING THE MODESTO AT 64 PERCENT OF NORMAL. MEANWHILE...THE NORTHERN SIERRA EIGHT STATION INDEX PRECIPITATION IS AROUND 73 PERCENT OF AVERAGE FOR THE WATER YEAR...WITH THE NORTHERN SIERRA SNOW PACK WATER CONTENT AT 91 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR THE DATE. PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...A MORE TRANSITORY PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE WEST COAST THROUGH THE END OF MARCH...WITH PERIODS OF WET AND UNSETTLED WEATHER AS WELL AS DRY AND SEASONAL WEATHER POSSIBLE. THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS SHOWS A 33 TO 40 PERCENT LIKELIHOOD OF ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTHERN INTERIOR. THE TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK ALSO SHOWS A 33 TO 40 PERCENT LIKELIHOOD OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80...WITH EQUAL CHANCES FOR BELOW NORMAL...NORMAL...AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...AS OF MARCH 15TH...THE MAJOR RESERVOIRS ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE RANGING BETWEEN 66 PERCENT AND 111 PERCENT OF HISTORICAL AVERAGE. THE LARGEST THREE RESERVOIRS ARE SHASTA LAKE...LAKE OROVILLE...AND FOLSOM LAKE AT 71 PERCENT OF NORMAL...66 PERCENT OF NORMAL...AND 111 PERCENT OF NORMAL...RESPECTIVELY. MAJOR RESERVOIRS ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE ONLY MAKING MINIMAL RELEASES DUE TO THE LACK OF RUNOFF OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...NO FURTHER PRODUCTS ARE ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. && RELATED WEBSITES... CALIFORNIA DATA EXCHANGE CENTER: HTTP://CDEC.WATER.CA.GOV/ CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER: HTTP://WWW.CNRFC.NOAA.GOV/ DROUGHT MONITOR: HTTP://DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML CALIFORNIA DROUGHT PAGE: HTTP://WATERSUPPLYCONDITIONS.WATER.CA.GOV/ CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER: HTTP://WWW.CPC.NOAA.GOV/INDEX.PHP NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO: HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO/ ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES: HTTP://WWW.ACWA.COM NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM - US DROUGHT PORTAL: HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.GOV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER DROUGHT MONITOR CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES CALIFORNIA STATE CLIMATOLOGIST US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CAL FIRE ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES LOCAL COUNTIES...CITIES...AND MEDIA QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS...PLEASE REFER ALL QUESTIONS TO W-STO.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV. $$ PALMER/MATTHEWS |