After two wet winters, 19 counties, home to most of California’s population, have been officially lifted from a state of emergency due to the drought that has plagued the state for the past three years.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Wednesday rolling back the restrictions.
“As this week’s weather makes clear, California and the West are experiencing extreme weather changes that are compounding our water challenges and making it more important than ever that we build a climate-resilient water system,” Newsom said.
The end of emergency protocols applies to the nearly 20 counties along the state’s coast and desert regions, where 70 percent of the population lives. The guidelines remain in place for the 39 counties surrounding areas where drought conditions remain a persistent problem, depleting groundwater supplies, damaging inland wells and harming native fish. That includes regions such as the Tulare Lake Basin, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins, as well as several watersheds in Northern California.
The order builds on the March 2023 action Newsom’s office took to end some of the state’s water restrictions after historic winter storms pulled California out of its driest years between 2020 and 2022. However, it retains some provisions that allow state agencies to “future-proof” California’s water supplies.
“This targeted action is tailored to the current circumstances while continuing the tools and support currently in place to future-proof water supplies in the hardest-hit communities,” Newsom said.
The state of emergency due to drought applies to the following provinces:
- Imperial
- Injouw
- Los Angeles
- Marijn
- Mendocino
- Mono
- Monterey
- Orange
- Riverside
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Luis Obispo
- Saint Mateo
- Saint Barbara
- Saint Clara
- Saint Cross
- Sonoma
- Ventura
Some of the provisions repealed by the ordinance relate to water wastage, such as washing cars, using decorative fountains and watering sidewalks.
About 41.9% of California — mostly in the desert bordering Arizona and parts of Northern California — remains in the “abnormally dry” category, the second-lowest classification on the list, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The region near the Oregon and Nevada borders, which accounts for about 6.9% of the state, remained in the moderately dry category, according to the study.
The California Department of Water Resources describes droughts in the state as a “recurring feature of our climate.” Notable droughts hit California between 2012-2016, 2007-2009, 1987-1992, 1976-1977, and between 1920-1930.
The Public Policy Institute of California, an independent think tank, has argued that climate change is worsening droughts by decreasing snowfall and increasing evaporation. The drier weather could reduce California’s water supply by as much as 10 percent by 2040, Newsom said.
