WSP11116

• File Number: 8056
• Description: Drought Preparedness
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 2/1/1976
• Author: Dept of Water Resour
• Title: Special Report on Dry Year Impacts in California
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
r
I
I
I
I
I

3n3022

(water percolating down to refill the underground basins)
and may not be able to meet requirements. similar problems may
be faced by agriculture that depends on water from a number of
small shallow ground water basins in the coastal areas south of
San Francisco.

Irrigation in many parts of the State depend on ground
water as a sole supply, or as a supplement to a limited surface
water supply. A good deal of activity to replace or recondition
wells and to drill new wells is already underway. Well drillers
are beginning to be concerned about adequate supplies and
equipment for these new wells and, in some cases, availability
of skilled drillers to meet expanded demands. Wells that were
in need of repair or replacement last year, will probably fail
next summer under the stress of above normal usage and accel-
erated lowering of water tables.

Urban and Industrial Areas

Water agencies supplying urban and industrial users
throughout the State are analyzing their situations. A
question has arisen as to how much water people use in a dry
year compared to a year when rainfall is average or above.
Logically, people would use more water to keep green areas green
because of the lack of rainfall to meet some of the need. If
water use in a dry year is appreciably higher than usual, some
communities who do not expect to have a problem may experience
problems in water quantity or delivery rates.

Communities served by large surface water systems are
not currently having any problems, nor do they expect to have
any problems even if the balance of the year is also dry. These
systems include the Hetch-Hetchy Aqueduct of the City and County
of San Francisco, the Los Angeles Aqueduct of the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power, the Colorado River Aqueduct of
the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the
Mokelumne Aqueduct of the East Bay Municipal Utility District,
and others with moderately large reservoir storage such as that
of the Sonoma County Water Agency.

Ground water serves most communities in the Central
Valley and many in Southern California, including the desert
communities. No problems are expected in these supplies even
if the year remains dry.

However, those communities throughout the State which
depend on local streamflow, small reservoirs, or shallow ground
water basins may already be experiencing problems. Table 2
presents information on current problem areas for which we. have
information. These range from wells going dry to reservoirs at
dangerously low levels. If rainfall is low through the spring,
some local communities not included in the table or individual
residences away from towns will probably experience water
shortages. Water rationing is already being contemplated for

-17-