The water in California’s mountain snowpack is just shy of average as spring begins, and a winter storm coming to the Sierra Nevada should offer a boost.
The statewide snowpack measured 90% of average on Friday, just ahead of the anticipated April 1 peak before the sun begins melting the snow faster than it can accumulate, sending water flowing into creeks and streams as storms taper off into the spring, said Andy Reising, manager of the Department of Water Resources’ snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit.
“Ninety percent is really pretty good. I’m feeling generally positive,” Reising told reporters as snow fell at Phillips Station in the mountains in the eastern part of the state, one of more than 250 sites where measurements were taken.
The news comes as more storms are expected to dump precipitation on Northern California early next week, which prompted officials to bump up the snow survey to avoid traveling during hazardous conditions. It also comes as nearly all of California’s reservoirs are above their historic capacity after two wet winters followed a punishing drought that forced severe cutbacks in water usage in cities and on farms.
State officials said they will provide a survey update next week after the storm.
The snowpack provides about a third of the water used each year in California, which is home to 39 million people and grows much of the country’s fresh fruit and vegetables. The state has built a complex system of canals and dams to capture and store the water in reservoirs for the hot, dry months when it doesn’t rain or snow.
While the northern and central parts of the state are flush with water, Reising cautioned that Southern California, including Los Angeles, has received far less precipitation than usual. Most of Southern California is once again in moderate to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“We know floods and droughts can happen at any time. It is the California way of life to expect that,” Reising said.
At Phillips Station, officials recorded a snow depth of 39.5 inches (100 centimeters) and a water content of 17 inches (43 centimeters), which is 70% of average for the location, he said.
The Trump administration has taken a keen interest in California’s water situation, vowing to send more water through a federally-run network to the state’s farmers and reserve less for environmental interests. He’s blasted the state for what he calls poor water management, and blamed the state’s environmental policies for water challenges during the Los Angeles wildfires, though the two weren’t connected.
This year, California’s State Water Project allocations are currently at 40% of requested supplies, similar to last year. The Project provides water to 27 million people and 750,000 acres (303,514 hectares) of farmland, and allocations vary considerably during wet and dry years.
Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, said she thinks California officials could have released more water this year and wants to see more nimble decision-making in response to rapidly changing conditions.
“We do have this mismatch between hydrology and the allocation, and what are the different physical and policy changes that need to be made to address that,” Pierre said.
Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Oakland-based Pacific Institute, said the state’s major reservoirs are in good shape but California farmers will always want more water than the environment can provide.
“We should never let a good water year let us become complacent,” Gleick said. “We never have enough water to waste.”
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