The state of California has a history of droughts spread over decades. The most recent drought lasted for five years between 2012 and 2016. Once again, the Californians are experiencing one of the driest periods.
If you are wondering what the current drought scenario is, this post is for you.
The Current Scenario
The water reservoirs in California are on all-time low. Therefore, the officials have requested the public to conserve water voluntarily. Due to high water demand during the hot weather, the agricultural sector and farmers are experiencing a shortage of water.
According to surveys, in 2021, the average water usage per person per day in Californian towns and cities stands at 91 gallons. However, water use may vary across different districts based on various factors, including local climate, population density, etc.
That said, overall water consumption increases in summer and declines during winters. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom issued a public request in July 2021 asking the state’s residents to voluntarily cut down their water usage by at least 15%. However, the residential water use statistics for the entire state remain the same.
Water Storage Levels in Californian Reservoirs
Californian reservoirs around the state have a water storage capacity of approximately 40 million acre-feet. 154 reservoirs represent the vast majority of the water storage capacity of California. The state Department of Water Resources regularly monitors the water level in these reservoirs and analyzes how much water is left.
As of July, the state reservoirs’ current water storage level stands at 47% of the total capacity. This is the lowest compared to the 66% average capacity for July in the last 30 years. According to the current statistics, below is a chart of the current level of water storage in each major reservoir in the large northern Californian region.
| Reservoir | Water Storage levels |
| Lake Shasta | 38% |
| Lake Oroville | 44% |
| Trinity Lake | 28% |
| New Melones Reservoir | 31% |
| San Luis Reservoir | 34% |
| New Don Pedro Reservoir | 61% |
| Lake Berryessa | 57% |
| Lake Almanor | 64% |
| Folsom Lake | 68% |
| Lake Mead | 27% |
| Lake Powell | 26% |
Lake Powell and Lake Mead are two of the largest reservoirs in the country. Both reservoirs lie well beyond the borders of the state. However, they hold a significant amount of water coming from the Colorado River, mainly used by the entire southern Californian region.
The rising temperatures due to climatic change are the primary culprit for California droughts. According to an NPR report, California, along with Northern Mexico and Montana, has experienced the driest period in the last 1,200 years.
Green Translations’ Commitment to a Green Planet
While Californian weather and water supply may swing from wet to dry periods, global warming is an alarming issue on many levels, not for the country but the entire world. This is one reason we at Green Translations are committed to saving the environment.
We support various environmental-friendly projects such as Bee Conservancy. We aim to reduce our carbon footprint to do our part in controlling global warming. If you are interested in learning what services Green Translation offers and how you can make a difference working with us, visit our website.