From the budget: The State of California has experienced four consecutive years of below‑average rain and snow, and is currently facing severe drought conditions in all 58 counties.
The most recent surveys recorded the statewide average snowpack, which is the source for one‑third of the state’s water, at just 2 percent of the normal average.
Water supplies at the state’s largest reservoirs, as well as groundwater aquifers, are significantly depleted. As a result, drinking water supplies are at risk in some communities, agricultural areas face increased unemployment, dry conditions create higher risks for wildfires, and important environmental habitats have already been degraded.
The state’s emergency drought response is strategically guided by accelerating several of the key actions in the California Water Action Plan that will provide long‑term benefits for the state.
Since the Governor first declared a state of emergency in January 2014, the Administration has worked with the Legislature to appropriate approximately $1.9 billion to assist drought‑impacted communities and provide additional resources for critical water infrastructure projects, including:
• $50 million Cap and Trade funds for the DWR to support state and local water use efficiency projects that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• $47.3 million General Fund for the Department of Social Services to provide food assistance to those impacted by the drought.
• $35 million General Fund and special funds for the Water Board to provide grants for emergency drinking water projects
Click here to read the full May Revise budget proposal for water.
