{"id":10217,"date":"2016-02-02T09:24:04","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T16:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/?p=10217"},"modified":"2016-02-02T10:18:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-02T17:18:00","slug":"uc-davis-experts-evaluate-the-water-year-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/index.php\/2016\/02\/02\/uc-davis-experts-evaluate-the-water-year-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"UC Davis experts evaluate water year, so far"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 2016 (was) much wetter than the previous Januaries during this drought. Precipitation is modestly above average, as is snowpack, and climatic conditions remain promising. The largest reservoirs are mostly fuller than a year ago, although not nearly to average conditions for this time of year. Groundwater is likely to be recharging, as it should this time of year in most places, but we still sit atop a large hole.<\/p>\n

California remains in a drought. Precipitation and snowpack are now mostly above average for this time of the water year (the 2016 Water Year began October 1, 2015). So far, El Nino is delivering a somewhat above normal water year. But, overall 2016 drought\"rescond\"\u00a0conditions are likely to remain unclear until March.<\/p>\n

The California Department of Water Resources\u2019 California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) does a great job assembling data that give insights on water conditions. They update this every day at\u00a0http:\/\/cdec.water.ca.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are some recent highlights, with links.<\/p>\n

Reservoir and Groundwater Storage Conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most major reservoirs in California have more storage that at this time last year, but still have only about 60% of historical average for this time of year.\u00a0 Folsom Lake is now at 100% of average for this time of year, rising from a record-low level in November. But California\u2019s reservoir storage remains about 7 maf (about 7 full Folsom reservoirs) less than average for this time of year.<\/p>\n

Groundwater statewide is harder to assess, but is doubtless making some recovery from last year\u2019s levels. It still has a long way to recover from the drought in many places.<\/p>\n

The drought so far has depleted total storage in California by about 22 maf cumulatively or nearly a year\u2019s worth of water use in agriculture. Soil moisture conditions were also unusually dry following 2015, diverting and delaying some runoff from early storms.<\/p>\n