California's water year is off to a poor start with only light to moderate precipitation
By Jonathan Lloyd ••
What is historically the time of the year when Californians can expect the most precipitation is "off to an abysmal start" after only light to moderate rainfall since Oct. 1 that did nothing to improve drought conditions.
Precipitation was recorded in central and northern California during the last week, but not nearly enough to provide drought relief, according to this week's U.S. Drought Monitor report. Three years of drought have left the state's water reservoirs at critically low levels and a mild start to the season in the Sierras suggests conditions might not improve during winter.
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Water saturates the lawn and streets outside Bon View Elementary school in Ontario.
Catie Rae Chornomud
An NBC4 viewer alerted us to a company watering their pavement in Santa Ana on Friday, July 25, 2014. Send your images to isee@nbcla.com.
Bernard Geller
Viewer Comment: Santa Monica wasting water at Memorial Park. No one fixing leak at Memorial Park Santa Monica, yet they are eager to restrict residents.
An NBC4 viewer alerted us to sprinklers spraying water into the road near Tamarack Park in Brea on Wednesday night, July 16, 2014.
Jim Mattor/@jimmattor
NBC4 viewers sent in these photos of water going to waste in Southern California. On Tuesday, California officials banned public water waste in response to the statewide drought, and Governor Jerry Brown has called for a 20 percent cutback in water use. If you see water waste in your neighborhood, send pictures to NBC4 at isee@nbclosangeles.com.
Jim Mattor/@jimmattor
Jim Mattor sent this picture of sprinklers soaking a Los Angeles intersection.
A viewer sent this picture of water runoff in Encino.
Getty Images
A viewer sent this picture of water running over a bike path in Encino.
@heaterbox0930
A viewer submitted photo of water spewing from a pipe on Hatteras Street between Tampa Avenue and Corbin Avenue in the San Fernando Valley July 24, 2014.
Harold Hedrick
Viewer Image: Dudley Street north of the 10 Freeway overpass in Pomona.
Viewer Image
Viewer Image: Water on street in Anahiem, southwest corner of La Palma and Tustin.
Viewer Image
Viewer Image: Water on street in Anahiem, southwest corner of La Palma and Tustin.
Viewer Image
Viewer Image
Bolen High
Viewer Image: Property on North Crescent Heights Boulevard in West Hollywood has wall of water-guzzling hedge around the perimeter.
Vernon Budinger
Viewer Comment: This water has been running like this for two hours. I talked to the woman at the guard house, she said that a pipe burst and that someone had been called.
Kindness is Key
Viewer Comment: Daily washing of parking lot.
"The totals still fell short of normal and did nothing to offset the impacts of the ongoing three-year drought," according to the report released Thursday. "The current Water Year has gotten off to an abysmal start."
Rainfall since Oct. 1, the start of the water year, has totaled 10 to 35 percent of normal in areas around San Francisco categorized by the U.S. Drought Monitor as under "exceptional" drought conditions. Rainfall was at 20 percent of normal in exceptional drought areas around Los Angeles.
The Drought Monitor report categorizes drought severity into abnormally Dry (D0), Moderate (D1), Severe (D2), Extreme (D3) and Exceptional (D4). Nearly 80 percent of the state is under extreme to exceptional drought.
In January, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for California as reservoirs levels dropped and snowpack diminished in the Sierras, a vital source of springtime water runoff shared by 25 million Californians. Farmers in the Central Valley have fallowed fields and mandatory water restrictions are in effect as California faces a fourth-consecutive dry year after a summer of record heat.
Some parts of the state can expect rainfall Thursday into Friday as a storm system develops in the Pacific.
US Drought Monitor
The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday Nov. 20, 2014.
