A 17-year chronic water shortage in the state of California has finally come to an end.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced today that it expects to deliver 100% of requested water supplies for the first time since 2006.
According to DWR, with recent strings of more than 13 consecutive winter storms, only 9% or less of the states in the U.S. are now in a drought. Most of the extreme drought emergencies has been relieved by heavy rainfalls. In particular, snowpack – the snow that accumulates in the Sierra Nevada Mountains that run north-south through the state – is at a record high abundance of more than 200% of the annual average.
DWR also reported that the storage capacity of freshwater lakes across the state is close to being full. As the snowpack slowly begins to melt, there will be an abundance of water supplies to even put some mountainous lowlands at risk of flooding.
“DWR is moving and storing as much water as possible to the benefit of communities, agriculture, and the environment,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said.
DWR currently provides water to 27 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland through 29 regional agencies.
In March, the U.S. Drought Monitor announced that most of California was out of drought emergency.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [support@koreadaily.com]
