Is California Out Of The Drought?
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — February saw storm after storm, filling reservoirs and swelling rivers, and putting the snowpack at above-average levels. Overall, the storms have created conditions that California has not seen in a pretty long time.
So the big question on everyone's mind is: is California officially out of the drought? The short answer is yes.
Three months ago. 84 percent of the state was in some form of a drought. Now, most of the state is looking good and the Department of Water Resources is happy about that.
"In California, we look at drought conditions based off our precipitation, our snowpack, and our reservoir levels. All of those are healthy right now. They're all above average," said Chris Orrack with the DWR.
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Shasta Lake is at 119 percent above the historic average. The state's largest reservoir rose 39 feet in February alone and is now only 24 feet from its rim.
The Folsom Lake reservoir, near Sacramento, is at 110 percent of its historical average, and Don Pedro, west of Yosemite, is at 115 percent.
In the Sierras, the snowpack has more than doubled in the last month alone. We'll find out how much water it's holding when officials take that measurement in April.
Despite the promising numbers, conservation is still a must.
"We need to be ready for when those drought conditions come back," Orrack said.
