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California Drought: Gov. Newsom Declares Expanded Drought Emergency, Calls For Statewide Conservation

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday issued a proclamation extending the drought emergency statewide and further urging Californians to step up their efforts at water conservation in the face of historic conditions.

The state is experiencing the second driest year on record, near record low storage in California's largest reservoirs and the potential third dry year in the western U.S., according to the governor's office.

The proclamation adds the eight counties not previously included in the drought state of emergency: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco and Ventura. Additionally, the proclamation requires local water suppliers to implement water shortage contingency plans that are responsive to local conditions and prepare for the possibility of continuing drought conditions.

A copy of the proclamation can be found online.

The new proclamation enables the State Water Resources Control Board to ban wasteful water practices -- including the use of potable water for washing sidewalks and driveways -- bolstering conservation efforts across the state. Last July, Newsom issued an executive order calling on Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15 percent compared to 2020 to protect water reserves and complement local conservation mandates.

The governor's action Tuesday comes as the Board reports that in August, California reduced urban water use by 5 percent compared to 2020, with the Bay Area outpacing much of the state in its conservation efforts.

"As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it's critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible," said Newsom said in a release about the new proclamation. "With historic investments and urgent action, the state is moving to protect our communities, businesses and ecosystems from the immediate impacts of the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience to help the state meet the challenge of climate change impacts making droughts more common and more severe."

California is experiencing its worst drought since the late 1800s, as measured by both lack of precipitation and high temperatures. August 2021 was the driest and hottest August on record since reporting began and the water year that ended last month was the second driest on record.

Tuesday's proclamation authorizes the Governor's Office of Emergency Services to provide assistance and funding under the California Disaster Assistance Act to support the emergency response and delivery of drinking water and water for public health and safety.

More information on the state's response to the drought and informational resources available to the public are available at https://drought.ca.gov/.

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