Folsom Lake Levels Continue To Drop Amid Drought Emergency, Push For Water Conservation
SACRAMENTO (CSB13) - Less than a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for Northern California, Folsom Lake is standing at one of its lowest levels ever.
Catherine Flemming reminisced Friday about a full Folsom Lake and how droughts have impacted the water in the past.
"Back in 2015, it was a really low year. We remember a time we were able to walk through this little village that used to be down there," she said.
Ryan Ojakian is with the Regional Water Authority (RWA). Now, there's a push from the RWA for its 20 water providers that serve about 2 million people in the Sacramento region to shift to using more groundwater than surface water to reduce reliance on Folsom Lake and the Lower American River.
"What has happened with our surface water supply this year has been dramatic," Ojakian said.
The RWA says, in dry times, shifting to groundwater use is common. It's a move the city of Roseville is making now in addition to asking customers to take action by conserving.
"One year you have water, the next year you don't," said Bob Sanders.
"This is a stark reality of what life is like," said Flemming said.
After experiencing the low levels of 2015 and with the state's focus now on another drought, Flemming is already planning to conserve starting with using less water outside.
"That we are just maybe going to water maybe half the time than we normally do," she said.