With California facing one of the most severe droughts on record, Governor Brown declared a drought State of Emergency in January and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages. The state has continued to lead the way to make sure California is able to cope with an unprecedented drought.
The Governor’s proclamation will enable several important actions to be taken urgently as we head into several months of the dry season. The proclamation expedites the approval of water transfers, emergency drinking water projects, and habitat monitoring and protection. It also streamlines normal regulations to enable fire protection, recycled water projects, and purchasing of equipment for emergency drought response.
The proclamation also calls on Californians to take specific actions to avoid wasting water including limiting lawn watering and car washing, recommends that schools, parks and golf courses limit the use of potable water for irrigation; and asks that hotels and restaurants give customers options to conserve water by only serving water upon request and other measures. The Water Board will work with local water agencies to ensure such water conservation measures are implemented.
Click here to share this Emergency Proclamation of Drought with others who may be interested, as well information on the state’s water conservation campaign. Click here for up-to-date information on the state’s drought response.
