First Manual Snow Survey of Year Reveals Below-Average Water Content, Highlights Need for Improved Water Capture System
Dry Start to Water Year Underscores Volatility of California’s Climate
Sacramento, CA – The California Department of Water Resources today conducted its first manual snow survey of the new water year at Phillips Station, determining water content in the Sierra Nevada snowpack to be three percent of average for this time of year. After California’s wettest year on record last year, the 2017-2018 water year has been off to a considerably dry start, with precipitation levels across the state lower than anticipated. State Water Contractor members use DWR’s monthly snow surveys to anticipate runoff from the mountains during the spring snowmelt and better plan their yearly operations.
“This first survey reiterates California’s need for water infrastructure that can keep up with our increasingly dynamic climate,” said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of SWC. “A flexible water system will allow us to more effectively capture water during wet years and in turn, better endure dry periods like we’ve seen so far this winter.”
The State Water Contractors is a statewide, non-profit association of 27 public agencies from Northern, Central and Southern California that purchase water under contract from the California State Water Project. Collectively the State Water Contractors deliver water to more than 25 million residents throughout the state and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural land.