California Rainfall Provides Relief, But Not Enough to End Drought: State Officials Urge Caution in Water Usage

California has seen weeks of historic rainfall, but it won’t be enough to end the state’s severe drought. However, the rainfall will provide public water agencies serving 27 million people with much more water than the suppliers had been told to expect a month ago, state officials announced Thursday.

The Department of Water Resources said public water agencies will now get 30% of what they had asked for, up from the 5% officials had previously announced in December. This was enough water to increase storage in the state’s two largest reservoirs by a combined 66%.

Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources, said, “We’re not out of drought in California, but this certainly makes a significant dent.” She added that the recent rainfall was “a great start to the year,” but that the state still needs to be “smart and strategic” about how it manages its water resources.

The Department of Water Resources also said that the recent rainfall has helped to reduce the risk of wildfires, but that the state still needs to be prepared for the possibility of drought conditions in the future.

The recent rainfall has been a welcome relief for California, but it is not enough to end the state’s severe drought. State officials are urging Californians to remain mindful of their water usage and to continue to be smart and strategic about how they manage their water resources.