The State’s new water year began Saturday and with it came fresh concerns about a fourth year of extreme drought for the state. California’s water year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 and is the official 12-month timeframe used by water managers to compile and compare hydrologic records, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
Water Year 2022, which featured historically dry months and a record-shattering heatwave, ended with statewide precipitation at 76 percent of average. Statewide reservoir storage is 69 percent of average for this time of year. Lake Oroville, the State Water Project’s largest reservoir, sits at 64 percent of average for this time of year.
The current drought from 2020 to 2022 is now the driest three-year period on record, breaking the old record set by the previous drought from 2013 to 2015.
Despite some rain recorded in parts of California in September, uncertainty remains about what the new water year may bring. Long-range forecasting suggests warmer and drier than average conditions will persist, which would mean little to no water deliveries from state supplies next year to farmers and cities in central and Southern California.
The drought has been particularly devastating to the Colusa County rice industry and extended drought could have devastating consequences on the local economy, officials said. ■