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late spring and summer in many communities. Use curtailment, such as no car washing and lawn watering only on certain days, is being considered. If this year remains dry and 1976-77 is also dry, some additional problems would occur. These are presented in Table 4 and include foothill and mountain domestic wells going dry, the need to truck water to some small communities, and severe ration- ing and use restrictions. Such problems will occur in localized areas but may be generally prevalent in the north and central coastal areas and in desert communties using springs rather than stored ground water. The only major water system considering any action, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, is contemplating a public education program to conserve water. Much can be done to cut water use by an alert public which is con- vinced that a real problem exists. A real opportunity now exists for developing meaningful water conservation programs in local communities. Recreation The dry year impact to date on winter recreation is both positive and negative. The subnormal seasonal snow depth has had a large negative impact on the snow skiing activity. Ski operators are suffering; use has fallen off tremendously, and motels are reporting weekend vacancies where in former years they were full. Ski operators have had to reduce work force, and there are a reduced number of lifts in operation during the week. The City of Sacramento reports a record use of golf courses. Houseboat activity is greater than normal, and Sunday pleasure driving is greater than normal due to the pleasant weather. Lake Tahoe recreation reports indicate tennis courts are being utilized where in former years they were buried under several feet of snow. In general, people are turning to the other recreation activities abnormally early in the year. To date the only recreation related boating problem has been at Folsom Lake. .At Brown's Ravine Marina, the low reservoir stage has bottomed out the marina site, but there has been no difficulty with lake boating in other respects or at other boat launching and marina systems in the State. River boating has been sustained by natural flows and reservoir and power releases. Visitor days at recreation areas is reported above average. If a lower quartile water supply occurs through the spring, reservoir stages will be too low at about 20 percent of the boat launching ramps in inland lakes. Such limited launching facilities coupled with exposure of lake shores would reduce visitor days about 20 percent. Use of shower facilities would probably be curtailed in some parks, mostly in the central and north coastal areas. -18- I I I I I I I 1 I I I I 1