The agency that manages much of California’s water supply increased the amount allocated to downstream agencies Thursday, saying recent storms have improved the snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Lake Oroville. Photo courtesy Department of Water Resources
But the new allocation — 20 percent, meaning 20 percent of what water agencies requested — remains a fairly low figure. Some reservoirs, such as Lake Oroville, also remain low, so the state Department of Water Resources will continue asking California residents to conserve.
“Statewide, the snowpack is hovering right around normal, which is a welcome thing after three dry years,” said the agency’s director, Mark Cowin. “We do expect to get more precipitation before the spring is over, but after April 1 is typically considered the end of snow season.”
The latest readings placed the Sierra snowpack at 106 percent of normal, up from 81 percent of normal at this time last year.
The agency started the year with its lowest water allocation ever: just five percent. Typically, the figure is raised as the winter rain and snow increase water supplies.
