Officials with Southern California's regional water wholesaler declared a drought emergency on Tuesday. They are calling on local counterparts to implement conservation measures.
"We need immediate action to preserve and stretch our limited State Water Project supplies," said Gloria D. Gray, chair of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors, in a statement. "Southern California on average gets about one third of its water from Northern California via the state project. Next year, we'll be lucky to get a small fraction of that."
MWD officals said on Tuesday that Lake Oroville, the primary reservoir for the State Water Project, reached its lowest level ever in August.
MWD manages water delivery to 26 local agencies in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties, serving roughly 19 million people. The L.A. Department of Water and Power receives an average of 41% of its annual water supply through the State Water Project.
L.A. water officials have echoed MWD's calls for reductions in usage.
"The drought that we are currently facing is serious," said Anselmo Collins, assistant general manager of LADWP's water system, in a statement. "We urge everyone to take a closer look at how they are using water inside and outside their home because the water we save now is water in our reservoirs for next spring and summer when demand typically goes up."
Collins said LADWP was closely monitoring supply conditions and was ready to call for additional conservation measures if necessary.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmsopheric ADministration, drought conditions grip the entire Southern California region. With parts of San Diego, Orange, and Riverside County all experiencing moderate to severe drought; all of L.A. and most of San Bernardino County experiencing extreme drought; and nearly all of Ventura County experiencing exceptional drought.
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