Current Drought Conditions
In March 2023, Governor Newsom eased drought restrictions after a series of storms dramatically changed conditions in many parts of the state.
The Governor said, "while recent storms have helped ease drought impacts, regions and communities across the state continue to experience water supply shortages, especially communities that rely on groundwater supplies that have been severely depleted in recent years." The executive order responded to current conditions while preserving smart water measures:
- Ends the voluntary 15% water conservation target, while continuing to encourage that Californians make conservation a way of life;
- Ends the requirement that local water agencies implement level 2 of their drought contingency plans;
- Maintains the ban on wasteful water uses, such as watering ornamental grass on commercial properties;
- Preserves all current emergency orders focused on groundwater supply, where the effects of the multi-year drought continue to be devastating;
- Maintains orders focused on specific watersheds that have not benefited as much from recent rains, including the Klamath River and Colorado River basins, which both remain in drought;
- Retains a state of emergency for all 58 counties to allow for drought response and recovery efforts to continue
Additional information about drought conditions in El Dorado County is available here.
