Transcript Drought Watch 2014 (Jason Foster)

Drought Watch 2014
Lake Oroville,
2014
Conservation Action Committee
April 17, 2014
What’s Happened Since We Last Met?
2
Not Much Good News for California
 Jan. 17 – Governor Brown
declares state of
emergency
 Jan. 30 – State snowpack
level dwindles to 12% of
normal
January 18,
2013
 Jan. 31 – 2014 State
Water Project delivery
estimate reduced to zero
 No “March Miracle”
January 18,
2014
3
Water Agency Drought Response
 Feb. 11 - MWD of S. California
declares “water supply alert”
 Calls for voluntary conservation,
doubles conservation budget
 Feb. 14 – Water Authority
activates drought response plan
 Declares “Drought Watch” condition,
increased voluntary conservation
 Most local agencies have activated
drought response ordinances
Levels of Water Authority
Model Drought Response
Ordinance
4
Current Water Supply Conditions
5
Northern Sierra 8-Station Precipitation Index, April 14, 2014
We’re a little better,
but not much
6
Statewide Snowpack Conditions
 DWR snow survey on April 1
 Typical date of season’s maximum
snow accumulation
 Statewide snowpack was 32% of average
Snowpack Conditions on April 14, 2014
Region
North
Central
South
Statewide
Inches
4”
10”
6”
7”
% Normal
16%
33%
25%
26%
7
8
Colorado River Basin - Inflow to Lake Powell
140%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
*US Bureau of Reclamation WY 2014 forecast made on April 2, 2014
9
Source: April 8, 2014 MWD Water Planning and Stewardship Committee
10
Fiscal Year Potable Water Use
Water Authority Service Area
Acre-Feet
80,000
70,000
July – March of FY 2014 is 4% more than in FY 2013
% Average Rainfall at Lindbergh Field
FY 2013
FY 2014
Dec – Feb: 71%
Dec – Feb: 26%
Ave. Daily Max.Temp.
January 2013: 64.6º F
January 2014: 70.5º F
Normal:
65º F
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Water Use FY13 (AF)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Water Use FY14 (AF)
11
What’s Happening Next?
12
Fed/State Drought Operations Plan
April - November 2014
 USBR, DWR coordinating major water systems
 Addresses health and safety needs, salinity control in the Delta,
and fish and wildlife protection
 Conservative assumption that drought persists into 2015
 No new water expected in 2014 from State Water Project
 Agencies will update plan as conditions change
 Report on http://ca.gov/drought/
13
National Weather Service Outlook
April – June 2014
Precipitation Outlook
A = Above Average
Temperature Outlook
B = Below Average
EC = Equal Chances
Made March 20, 2014
• Over 50% chance of El Niño developing in summer
14
Campaigns for Increased Conservation Ramping Up
 Statewide:
 “Save Our Water” outreach (ACWA/DWR) increasing in June
 Southern California
 MWD effort in development, expected June launch
 Coordinating messages in San Diego region
 Water Authority
 Launching late April
 Coordinating with member agencies (city of San Diego, etc.)
 Securing additional grant funding for incentives
15
Thank you!
Jason Foster
Director, Public Outreach and Conservation
San Diego County Water Authority
[email protected]
(858) 522-6701
16