This map, published by the National Climatic Data Center, is getting a lot of attention today. It is significant because it shows the entire state of California in drought conditions for the first time in 15 years.
source: National Climatic Data Center
The LA Times has written a companion article, wherein it points out that:
The latest drought monitor released by the National Climatic Data Center this week shows that the entire state is under moderate drought conditions, but within that map, 76.6% of the state is experiencing extreme drought conditions, and for 24.7% of the state, the level of dryness is “exceptional.”
While it’s certainly not news that the State is facing drought conditions, the severity of the drought is noteworthy. In fact, the drought is so severe that there are even plans in the works to reverse the flow of water along a portion of the California Aqueduct to bring water to especially dry regions of Central California. KQED has the story. This “pump-back” plan is only possible because Southern California’s large water districts have been effective at stockpiling water reserves, whereas the smaller water districts in the Central Valley have not.
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