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

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003014

THE DRY YEAR, 1975-76

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The State of California usually has any kind of water
year except a normal year. This variability is illustrated
in Figure 1, "Seasonal Precipitation at Sacramento." Precip-
itation so far this year has been far enough below normal to
rank as one of the record dry periods.

Of the ten years in this century that rank as the driest
through the month of January, seven have gone on to be notably
dry years and three have had sufficent precipitation after
February 1 that very few recall that the year started out to be
dry. Those who do remember include those who suffered from
dried up rangeland and small grain crops or from lack of snow
for winter recreation.

Some of the impacts of the lack of precipitation
have already occurred and are discussed in this report. Future
impacts will depend on the amount of precipitation during February,
March, and April. This report assumes two possible precipitation
conditions for the remaining months of the water year and dis-
cusses possible future impacts for each. One would have lower
quartile precipitation for the reminder of the year, that is,
the precipitation will not exceed that for the lowest one-
quarter of the years of record. The other condition would have
normal precipitation for the remainder of the year. The report
also contains a discussion of the impacts if lower quartile
precipitation occars during the remainder of this year and next
year also has only lower quartile precipitation.

The report shows the impact that has already occurred
on agriculture, winter recreation, and fire suppression due to
the dry period throughout the first of February. It also pro-
jects the effects under the assumed conditions on agriculture,
municipal and industrial water supplies, recreation, fish and
wildlife, forestry, and energy for the remainder of this year
and for next year if that should also prove to be dry.

The Statewide Picture Today

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The Water Year 1975-76 from its beginning October 1,
1975, to the present, February 1, 1976, has been one of the
driest years of record. Both precipitation and snowpack are
far below normal in all parts of the State. This has resulted
in flow in most of the smaller streams at decreasing rates since
November 1, a period when the flow would ordinarily increase.
The only bright part of the water picture is that there are a
number of large reservoirs which were filled during the abundant
runoff in the spring of 1975. These reservoirs still have about
normal quantities of water in storage for this time of year.

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