If you’re like us – not living in California – you might have thought the state’s drought was over. After all, didn’t the Golden State have such heavy rainfall that it turned into the Mudslide State?
Turns out the mudslides were real, but California wasn’t out of the woods. Three months ago 26% of the state was experiencing drought. Now, 92% of the state is, according to the National Drought Migration Monitor.
And it’s expected to continue into early spring. Adding to concern: a dry winter left the crucial mountain snowpack at just 20% of its average level.
That’s leading the state’s water regulator to propose a number of permanent measures including restrictions against over-watering lawns; hosing down driveways and sidewalks; washing vehicles with hoses not equipped with a shut-off nozzle; and running non-recirculated water in an ornamental fountain. Certain exceptions would apply for public health and safety reasons or commercial agricultural purposes.