The U.S. Drought Monitor Report, produced by federal agencies in collaboration with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, has shifted some county classifications of drought conditions in Southern California to “extreme” and “exceptional.”
Ventura County, northwest Los Angeles County, almost all of Kern County and the eastern quarter of San Bernardino County have all moved into the federal report’s most severe designation of “D4 Exceptional Drought.”
The remainder of L.A. County, parts of Kern, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties are all classified as “D3 Extreme Drought,” the second-most severe category. Orange County falls under a “D2 Severe Drought” designation.
A D4 designation comes with a variety of alarming projections for affected regions. The likelihood and impact of wildfires in D4 areas are extremely high. Other ecological impacts include poor air quality, high fish mortality, infestation of certain invasive insect species, and increased algae blooms. A D3 classification means lower river levels, impeding fish travel and breeding, and increased encroachment of wildlife potentially dangerous to humans, such as bears and mountain lions, in search of food and water.
Both D3 and D4 classifications have potentially catastrophic impacts on agriculture, including premature blossoming of fruit trees, livestock death, and low crop yields.
Fifty of California’s 58 counties are presently facing drought conditions in some form. Gov. Gavin Newsom has subsequently asked all state residents to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 15 percent.