Early Spring Heat Wave May Prompt Bay Area Water Agencies To Adopt Stricter Drought Restrictions
LOS GATOS (KPIX 5) – Following last week's discouraging snow survey, this week's early spring heat wave could make the snowpack situation even worse, forcing local water districts to start considering more drought restrictions.
For the nearly 2 million South Bay residents served by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, they enjoy what the agency likes to call a portfolio of water resources. There is imported water from federal and state water projects. There are local reservoirs, like Lexington. And there is groundwater storage.
All of those are under increasing pressure as we move into year three of drought.
"Basically, what you are seeing right here is that if you consider the groundwater underneath us like a bathtub or a storage tank, we are drawing on it," said Aaron Baker, Chief Operating Officer of Valley Water.
"Normally we'd be able to fill it back up with some of those other supplies and right now we're not able to do that."
Groundwater recharge ponds are dry. The local reservoirs will start the year below average. And the news isn't much better when it comes to what Valley Water imports from across the state.
"Over half of our water comes from the Sierra," Baker told KPIX 5. "Approximately 55%."
"As the snow pack continues to melt, the big unknown is how much of that water will actually make it into the reservoirs," Sean de Guzman with the Department of Water Resources said during last week's snow survey.
The Sierra snowpack, measured at 38% of normal, could take another hit this week as warm weather dries out the ground, causes more sublimation into the air, and stops potential runoff from ever reaching storage.
"And the next few weeks are really that critical period to actually watch how much of that runoff will actually make it down into those lakes," de Guzman said at the time.
Andrea Pook with the East Bay Municipal Utility District told KPIX 5, "So East Bay MUD has installed some additional soil moisture sensors in our area so we can better understand exactly what is happening."
That utility, which serves much of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, is closely watching the runoff situation as the Sierra delivers most of its water supply. It tapped into its Sacramento River backup last year, so it is already in drought mode.
"On April 26, the East Bay MUD Board of Directors will make a decision about what direction to go regarding any drought restrictions going forward," Pook said.
As for Valley Water, their board of directors will meet next week to consider limiting outdoor watering to twice a week.