As Rain Winds Down, Latest Storm Unlikely to Provide Local Drought Relief
SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- While the showers that started falling Sunday night were welcome in the Bay Area, experts say the small amount of precipitation won't have much impact on the local water supply.
Wet streets, slapping windshield wipers and umbrellas have been rare sights in the South Bay so far in 2022. But all were easy to spot on Monday.
"Rain? I like it it's good," said a man who gave his name as Adolph. He was caught out in the rain without an umbrella while walking on Blossom Hill Road in San Jose.
There was just enough runoff from the overnight storm to bring the babble back to Penitencia Creek in San Jose's Alum Rock Park.
The wildflowers and grasses seemed to relish the rain and soaked up every drop. They just might stay green just a little bit longer.
"Everything looks really green. I haven't watered my grass. I haven't been watering, so that helped," said Robert Urbano, who liked what the rain did to the park and his yard at home.
But it certainly wasn't a drought buster.
"This was not a miracle. We never complain about getting any rain any time of the year, but this was such a small drop in the bucket," said Santa Clara Valley Water District spokesman Matt Keller.
Keller said the storm had virtually no impact on reservoir levels, which range from 33% of capacity at Guadalupe Reservoir to 82% of capacity at Uvas reservoir.
About half of Santa Clara County's water supply is imported from the Sierra snowpack.
"It's been bad news all year for our water supply. Seeing rainstorms like this are good, but we need 20, 30 or 40 of these to make a real impact," Keller said.
Conservation will be the key to making it through another mostly dry year. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for additional conservation in an executive order.
"While we have made historic investments to protect our communities, economy and ecosystems from the worsening drought across the West, it is clear we need to do more," Newsom said Monday.
In the executive order, Newsom called for local water suppliers to move to Level 2 of their water shortage contingency plans.
According to the governor's office, Level 2 would involve implementing conservation actions to prepare for a shortage of up to 20%. Measures that could be taken include reducing the number of days residents can water outdoors.
"This storm is a good reminder to conserve. The rain comes in, so turn off your irrigation," Keller said.
The district set a 15% water conservation goal last July, but residents have only hit it two months since then.