San Diego County will likely get additional water supplies from Northern California. That's one outcome of the statewide drought declaration by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.
The executive order directs the state Department of Water Resources to help speed water transfers to areas facing shortages.
DWR Director Lester Snow says taking steps now will help avoid mandatory water rationing in the future.
Snow: I mean the purpose of making this executive order and this announcement is actually to avoid the very thing you're bringing up where we have to be in statewide rationing. Because that means there is serious environmental and economic harm that has already taken place. So the idea is to put programs in place now to soften the impact in 2008 and prepare for a potential third year of drought in 2009.
A combination of factors have put the squeeze on water:
An eight-year drought in the Southwest means California can't depend on Colorado River water to help supply Southern California.
A federal judge's order last year requires that more Northern California water be left in the troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to help declining fish populations.
And the state depends on winter snow in the Sierra Nevada for much of the summer water supply. But March, April and May were the driest winter months on record, forcing water use cutbacks.
Fern Steiner is the board chair of the
San Diego County Water Authority.
Steiner: This is one of the most serious water situations we've faced in a long time.
It's been 16 years since the last major drought in California.
Steiner says the drought declaration will help bring water to parched San Diego.
Steiner : He's ordered DWR as part of his executive order to do some things which we think will be significant for San Diego County. Such as facilitating water transfers. We've been in the process of trying to get water transfers from Northern California to have some extra water down here.
The county water authority and most water agencies have launched aggressive voluntary conservation campaigns.
But another dry year could mean some of those voluntary measures would become mandatory in 2009.
Steiner says outdoor watering accounts for 60 percent of water use in the county. And a lot of that water is squandered.
Steiner: There's a lot of waste going on, hosing down driveways, not using car washes, taking showers that are exorbitantly long.
State officials will also help the water authority and and other agencies with conservation efforts.
Steiner says that could take the form of various rebates, grants and other incentives.
Schwarzenegger's statewide drought declaration is the first since 1991.
The governor is warning that conditions could be even worse next year.
Ed Joyce, KPBS News.
