Lack of snow signals year 4 of Calif. drought
Lack of snow doesn’t mean lack of beauty at Fallen Leaf Lake. Photo/Toogee Sielsch
By Kathryn Reed
The state didn’t need to take a snow survey to prove that it’s dry and moisture has been scarce.
“Unfortunately, today’s manual snow survey makes it likely that California’s drought will run through a fourth consecutive year. DWR managers said heavy precipitation and cooler temperatures in the next three months would be required for the snowpack to build and give Californians hope for beginning to recover from drought this year,” Department of Water Resources officials said in a press release.
What the numbers from today’s reading do is quantify how horrible things are. In the field adjacent to the road leading to Sierra-at-Tahoe, 7.1 inches of snow was found. It has a water content of 2.3 inches. This is 12 percent of average. Just a month ago it was at 33 percent of normal. Statewide the average is 25 percent of average, when it was 50 percent in December.
These measurements at Phillips Station near Echo Summit are taken at an elevation of 6,873 feet.
Six hundred feet lower, at lake level, people are raking, picking up pine cones and wondering if winter is only for those who live on the East Coast. Those in the Bay Area and elsewhere in the state are wondering the same thing as they watch blossoms appear sooner than usual and begin to water lawns that are used to being fed by Mother Nature.
January is normally California’s wettest month. 2015 is likely to go into the record books as the driest in history.
Locally, the Lake Tahoe Basin’s economy is what suffers the most when it doesn’t snow. Even though many ski resorts can make snow, it’s not enough to cover the entire mountain. Fewer skiers mean less hotel rooms booked, restaurants aren’t as full and locals don’t have jobs.
Elsewhere in California it means reservoirs aren’t as full. Snowpack supplies about one-third of the state’s water for municipalities and farmers.
State Climatologist Michael Anderson said to have a chance at ending the drought, California would have to record precipitation that is at least 150 percent of normal by the end of the water year on Sept. 30, or 75 inches. As of Jan. 29, 23.1 inches have been recorded at the stations.
Kae and the LTN community. Yes, this is the driest January I’ve ever seen. The lake level is low, the boat ramps if not extended and the canals if not dredged will be unusable this year. Low water means low employment which means more people moving away. More schools and businesses closing and less revenue in the city coffers which results in less city services.
It’s happened before where we got late season storms to save the day, our local economy and help to fill the resavoirs off the hill. Rare, but sometimes it does happen.
Keep your fingers crossed and hope it snows! OLS
I remember in the early 80’s Sierra Ski Ranch didn’t open until February one year. I don’t remember how much snow we got before February but it couldn’t have been much. Maybe there is still hope.
In the long climate history of this state as studied through submerged tree ring studies, mega-droughts were not uncommon, some lasted many decades. The difference now is the water demand used for far off cities in S. Cal that should find their own water sources in the ocean and they should not be allowed to take the water no matter what the senile governor thinks. Also, all new development of a major size needing new water service should be suspended.
Pray for snow!
Shoveled my own snow for thirty one years. Three years ago my neighbor gave me a snow blower. It hasn’t snowed much since then.
It must be my fault.
Sunriser2, I’m here to share the blame with you over the drought. You got a snowblower and I’ve been raking pine needles and discovering little green plants already coming up.
I’ve washed the car twice, as that usually brings in the snow, but alas, it was to no avail.
We are both guilty. OLS
Surefire cure….go out and UNCOVER your woodpile!
Governor Brown is responsible for LA taking all our water? How quaint. Simple answers for simple people.
We still have history on our side. February and March are heavy snow months. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Justice can’t quit blaming the current Gov. Brown for everything he doesn’t like, even things that likely predate his birth, like the LA water grab. This happened very early in the 1900s and was at least partially planned prior to the turn of the century.
California is way over developed for its water sources.The people who built this state up and let all these people come here should have realized that, but they were only interested in money for themselves. Now, we are low on water, and we are realizing the problem. And don’t tell me agriculture is the problem. Take the water away from those guys and you won’t be eatin’! The real water hogs are the folks down in L.A., living way beyond their means, and over watering their non-native landscaping. And we have to stop watering our yards? Gimme a break!
It is very hard to believe that we aren’t hearing more about conservation from the state. The Gov. suspended all water agreements therefore EL Dorado Irrigation District doesn’t have to keep water in the Mt. lakes for recreation this year. That is Caples, Silver and several other Lakes. Seems as though CA is going to let some places run themselves out of water and then go truck it in from somewhere that has water, like here.
Gee, I didn’t even know that Brown was alive when LA did a water grab in the 20s and 40s. I thought that was all Mulholland.
We have about 38 cubic miles of fresh water here… Other places in Californa… not so much.
If this drought continues (seems likely), there may be water rationing.
Governor’s Brown Sr and Jr are responsible for the central aqueduct taking water from northern Cal from the Sierra’s. They aren’t done yet with the multi-billion twin tunnels project proposed to take even more and cost billions upon billions. Simple uneducated guessers write about the Owens Valley project, which was a blatant water theft, like it is the only water being diverted to LA, there are three aqueducts going to LA now. The north state has to protect the water from politicians who want to reward other corrupt politicians and expand desert populations of people that have no water and no business being there demanding north state water.
Just@ss, you comment like there are two California’s, North versus South, to try and drum up some more “scare” tactics. I am surprised you didn’t include Hispanics Ebola Zombies crossing the border and tainting our water supplies… LOL!
I agree 100%, illegals are illegally using up the resources of this country from water to welfare. Good point. As to water theft from LA, if you are from Northern Cal, you don’t approve of it ever. We do approve of dividing the state and selling excess water to the highest bidder in wet years.
Hey Rock, you should just butt of these forums. You always screw up reasonable conversations and turn them into racist, bigoted, finger pointing, name calling sessions. Do you actually think anyone takes your babble seriously?
Hey T-Hoe, who died and put you in charge of this blog.
Just@ss is a Bigot and it’s history of comments on the blog are proof.
The only thing “screwed up” is the twisted space between your ears. LMAO!
Rock: you’re comment was awfully hypocritical. I understand Tahoe’s frustration with you on this blog. Go look in the mirror.
Ahem… Go frustrate yourself. LOL!
Tahoe you did your fair share of name calling and finger pointing earlier.
You know what they say. People who live in glass houses should go flog themselves.