Re: Drought Information Statement

AXUS76 KSTO 292230 CCC
DGTSTO
CAC003-005-007-009-011-017-021-033-057-061-063-067-077-089-091-095-
099-101-103-113-115-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
150 PM PDT THU JAN 29 2009

...DRY WEATHER TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF FEBRUARY...
...PLEASE NOTE...ANY DROUGHT DECLARATIONS ARE DECIDED BY INDIVIDUAL
STATES...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOES NOT MAKE DROUGHT
DECLARATIONS...

SYNOPSIS...THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DECLARED DROUGHT ON JUNE 4,
2008. THE US DROUGHT MONITOR IS NOW INDICATING AN EXTREME DROUGHT
(CLASSIFICATION D3) FOR THE ENTIRE SACRAMENTO RIVER BASIN...WITH A
SEVERE DROUGHT (CLASSIFICATION D2) ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE NORTHERN
INTERIOR.

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...AS OF AUGUST 27TH...FIFTY THREE OF CALIFORNIA/S
FIFTY EIGHT COUNTIES HAD BEEN GIVEN DISASTER DECLARATIONS AS DROUGHT
HAS DEVASTATED AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES...INCLUDING ALL THE COUNTIES
WITHIN THE NORTHERN INTERIOR. GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE
ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS AND EMERGENCY LOANS. IN SOME COUNTIES...THIS
INCLUDES FUNDS FOR SIGNIFICANT LOSSES TO RANGELAND AND LIVESTOCK
FORAGE THAT OCCURRED DURING 2008.

A NUMBER OF CITIES...WATER DISTRICTS...AGENCIES...AND COUNTIES
ACROSS THE NORTHERN INTERIOR ARE ALSO ASKING FOR EITHER VOLUNTARY
REDUCTIONS AND CUTBACKS UP TO 15 PERCENT IN WATER USAGE OR
ALTERNATING WATER DAYS. THESE INCLUDE THE CITY OF
ROSEVILLE...SACRAMENTO SUBURBAN WATER DISTRICT...CALIFORNIA AMERICAN
WATER COMPANY...CARMICHAEL WATER DISTRICT...CITRUS HEIGHTS WATER
DISTRICT...THE CITY OF WEST SACRAMENTO...DEL PASO MANOR WATER
DISTRICT...FAIR OAKS WATER DISTRICT...FRUITRIDGE VISTA WATER
COMPANY...ORANGEVALE WATER...RIO LINDA ELVERTA...CITY OF
FOLSOM...SACRAMENTO COUNTY WATER AGENCY...REGIONAL WATER
AUTHORITY...SAN JUAN WATER DISTRICT...SACRAMENTO SUBURBAN WATER
DISTRICT...THE CITY OF DURMAN...THE CITY OF WILLITS...THE CITY OF
PLYMOUTH...THE AMADOR WATER AGENCY...THE CITY OF
STOCKTON...STANISLAUS COUNTY...STOCKTON EAST WATER
DISTRICT...CALAVERAS COUNTY WATER DISTRICT...AND TULARE COUNTY.

A COUPLE OF WATER AND IRRIGATION DISTRICTS HAVE HAD TO TAKE MORE
DRASTIC MEASURES. THESE INCLUDE BROWNS VALLEY IRRIGATION
DISTRICT...BELLA VISTA WATER DISTRICT...NEVADA IRRIGATION
DISTRICT...AND THE TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT. THE BROWNS VALLEY
IRRIGATION DISTRICT IS NOT DELIVERING WATER TO CUSTOMERS MONDAY
THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF EACH WEEK...AND THE BELLA VISTA WATER DISTRICT
HAS ADOPTED A DROUGHT SURCHARGE IF WATER USAGE EXCEEDS 75 PERCENT OF
WATER USED DURING THE PAST WATER YEAR. THE NEVADA IRRIGATION
DISTRICT IS OPERATING ON RESERVES...AND WILL BE PURCHASING WATER
NORMALLY ALLOWED TO RUN DOWNSTREAM. MEANWHILE...THE FARMERS IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY...INCLUDING SHASTA COUNTY...EXPECT TO RECEIVE LESS
THAN THE 45 PERCENT OF THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION WATER THAT THEY
WERE ALLOTED IN 2008. THE TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT IS ALSO
REDUCING ALLOTMENT FOR THE GROWERS...ESTABLISHING A MANDATORY CAP ON
WATER USE PER ACRE.

SHASTA DAM HYDROELECTRIC PLANT HAS CUT BACK POWER PRODUCTION NEARLY
IN HALF BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RAIN AND LOW WATER LEVELS IN SHASTA
RESERVOIR. AS A RESULT...THE REDDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN
ELECTRICAL RATE INCREASE OF EIGHT PERCENT FOR ELECTRICAL CUSTOMERS.

THE CENTRAL VALLEY FARMERS ARE ALSO CUTTING BACK ON THE EXTENT OF
THE ACREAGE DEVOTED TO TOMATOES...LETTUCE...AND MELONS BECAUSE OF AN
EXPECTED REDUCTION IN WATER ALLOCATIONS. THIS REDUCTIONS IS AN
EFFORT TO PRESERVE PERMANENT CROPS SUCH AS ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN DRY YEARS FOR
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...WITH THE 2006-2007 SEASON BEING CLASSIFIED AS
A DRY YEAR AND THE 2007-2008 SEASON BEING CONSIDERED ABNORMALLY
DRY. THESE TWO DRY YEARS ARE COMPARABLE TO THE START OF THE DROUGHT
OF THE LATE 1980S. ALTHOUGH 2007-2008 SEASON STARTED OUT WITH A
NEAR NORMAL SNOW PACK...A LACK OF SNOW IN MARCH AND APRIL AND AN
EARLY MELT OF THE SNOWPACK RESULTED IN BELOW NORMAL READINGS AT THE
BEGINNING OF MAY. IN FACT...THE NORTHERN SIERRA EIGHT STATION
PRECIPITATION INDEX FOR THE NORTHERN SIERRA SHOWS THAT MARCH AND
APRIL WERE THE SIXTH DRIEST ON RECORD.

IN THE NORTHERN CENTRAL VALLEY...THE 2007-2008 PRECIPITATION SEASON
AND WATER YEAR ENDED JUNE 30TH...WITH VALLEY RAINFALL TOTALS RUNNING
NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL.

SINCE THE START OF SEPTEMBER THOUGH...A NUMBER OF SYSTEMS HAVE MOVED
ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...BRINGING VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN
SNOW. THE CURRENT WATER YEAR PRECIPITATION TOTALS FOR THE VALLEY
ARE AVERAGING BETWEEN 40 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN THE NORTHERN
SACRAMENTO VALLEY AND 65 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN THE SOUTHERN
SACRAMENTO AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS. MEANWHILE...THE
NORTHERN SIERRA EIGHT STATION INDEX PRECIPITATION IS ONLY 67 PERCENT
OF AVERAGE...WITH THE NORTHERN SIERRA SNOW PACK AT 49 PERCENT OF
NORMAL.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...A SEMI PERMANENT RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE IS ONCE AGAIN SITUATED ALONG THE WEST COAST...BRINGING DRY
WEATHER AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THROUGH
THE FIRST PART OF FEBRUARY. HOWEVER...THIS RIDGE SHOULD BREAK DOWN
SOMETIME AROUND THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY...WITH RAIN
AND SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT 30
DAYS SHOWS EQUAL CHANCES FOR BELOW NORMAL...NORMAL...AND ABOVE
NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE WARNING AREA. THE TEMPERATURES
OUTLOOK FOR THE REGION ALSO SHOWS EQUAL CHANCES FOR BELOW
NORMAL...NORMAL...AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...AS OF JANUARY 1ST...THE MAJOR
RESERVOIRS ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE RANGING BETWEEN 45 PERCENT
AND 85 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THE THREE RESERVOIRS SUFFERING THE MOST
ARE SHASTA LAKE...LAKE OROVILLE...AND FOLSOM LAKE AT 47 PERCENT OF
NORMAL...44 PERCENT OF NORMAL...AND 45 PERCENT OF
NORMAL...RESPECTIVELY.

DUE TO THE LACK OF RUNOFF OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS...THE MAJOR
RESERVOIRS ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE ONLY MAKING MINIMUM
RELEASES AT THIS TIME...WITH LITTLE CHANGE EXPECTED ON DOWN STREAM
VALLEY RIVERS.

NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...THE NEXT SCHEDULED PRODUCT WILL BE ISSUED BY
FEBRUARY 20TH OR SOONER IF NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN CONDITIONS.

&&

RELATED WEBSITES...
CALIFORNIA DATA EXCHANGE CENTER: HTTP://CDEC.WATER.CA.GOV/
CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER: HTTP://WWW.CNRFC.NOAA.GOV/
DROUGHT MONITOR: HTTP://DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML
CALIFORNIA DROUGHT PAGE: HTTP://WATERSUPPLYCONDITIONS.WATER.CA.GOV/
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER: HTTP://WWW.CPC.NOAA.GOV/INDEX.PHP
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO: HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO/
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES: HTTP://WWW.ACWA.COM

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER
DROUGHT MONITOR
CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
CALIFORNIA STATE CLIMATOLOGIST
US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
CAL FIRE
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES
LOCAL COUNTIES AND CITIES

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS...PLEASE REFER ALL QUESTIONS TO
W-STO.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV.

PALMER/MATTHEWS

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