Drought Management
San Diego County Drought Response Level
Click on each box above to see restrictions or actions for each drought response level.
Mandatory Water Conservation Measures in Your Area
What is our current water situation?
On June 4, 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought, citing two years of below-average rainfall, very low snowmelt runoff, and the
largest court-ordered water transfer restrictions in state history. Dry conditions prevailed statewide in 2008. Storage in most key state reservoirs is below average.
In October 2008, the state Department of Water Resources issued a 2009 water supply initial allocation of 15 percent, the second lowest in the history of the State Water Project, a key San Diego water supply source.
Water agencies that rely on the State Water Project (such as the Water Authority) may receive far less water in 2009 than in 2008, which was a critically dry year. Last year, the initial allocation was 25 percent, and was eventually raised to 35 percent.
On April 14, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Water Authority's main water supplier, announced that it will cut water deliveries to this region by 13 percent this year. MWD, which provides 71 percent of the San Diego region's water supply, will allocate, or cut back deliveries to the Water Authority and MWD's other member agencies starting July 1.
Responding to reduced water supplies caused by regulatory restrictions, lingering drought, and cutbacks from MWD, the Water Authority announced on April 23, 2009 that it will cut water deliveries to its member retail water agencies by 8 percent effective July 1. To help achieve the required reduction in regional water use, the Water Authority Board also immediately declared a Level 2 “Drought Alert” condition. This action enables the Water Authority's
24 member retail agencies to adopt mandatory conservation measures for residents and businesses, such as use restrictions or tiered water rates that charge more for excessive water use. Many water agencies around the state are grappling
with supply shortages. Drought conditions, diminished water storage levels, and regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from Northern
California have combined to severely limit water supplies around much of California. The regulatory restrictions are expected to affect water supply reliability in the years ahead.
To prepare the San Diego region for potential water shortages, in March 2008 the San Diego County Water Authority released
a Model Drought Response Ordinance to its member retail agencies. The Model
Drought Response Ordinance identifies four drought response levels that contain
water-use restrictions that will help achieve demand reduction during water
shortages. Member agencies are using the Water Authority's model to update their
own ordinances to help provide consistency throughout the region on response
levels and water use restrictions that may be taken to reduce water demand.
Member agency drought ordinances may vary. To find out which
ordinance is applicable in your area, locate your member agency here.
Links to member agency drought ordinances can be found here.
Model Drought Response Ordinance & Proposed Restrictions
Drought Management Plan
Reservoir Levels
Board Memos
Enhancing Supply Reliability
Member Agencies' Drought Ordinances
Helpful Links
Reservoir Levels
Local Conditions
State Conditions
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Board Memos
Notification to the San Diego County Water Authority Member Agencies of a Regional Drought Response Level 1, Drought Watch Condition - April 16, 2008
Draft Model Drought Response Conservation Program Ordinance for Use by the San Diego County Water Authority Member Agencies - March 19, 2008
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Helpful Links
20-Gallon Challenge
Association of California Water Agencies
Department of Water Resources Drought Page
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Snowpack Report (Department of Water Resources)
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Lower Colorado River Region
U.S. Drought Monitor
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