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Commentary: One wet year does not a drought-buster make

Posted by: Maven on March 6, 2010 at 6:36 am

From Jon Mendelson at the Tracy Press, this commentary:

“With storms sweeping through Northern California every few days, there’s a question on water-watchers’ lips: Is the drought over?

As with most things bearing monetary and political implications, it depends on who you ask. So the best place to start is with the raw data.

According to the state’s Daily Reservoir Storage Summary, as of Thursday, many of our area’s largest water caches were holding their own when compared to their one-year averages.

Shasta, the grand Sacramento River reservoir, was ahead of its to-date season average at 102 percent. Friant Dam, which feeds plenty of San Joaquin Valley farmers, was at 97 percent of normal. The Tuolumne River’s Don Pedro was at 109 percent.

Others are lagging behind.

The Stanislaus River’s New Melones was at 86 percent of its to-date season average. New Hogan on the Calaveras River was at 71 percent. Oroville, the Feather River’s huge reservoir that plays an enormous role in Central Valley water distribution, is at 56 percent.

Either way, it’s too early to get overly excited about these figures. … “

Continue reading this commentary by clicking here.

March 6, 2010 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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