That was 2015, when there was virtually no snowpack in the mountains and all the water stored in reservoirs throughout the state was insufficient to get us through the next year.
The governor waited until water stored in reservoirs had recovered before declaring the statewide drought was over.
Locally, the drought is not over.
In the San Bernardino Valley, the drought continues into the 20th year with no end in sight.
• Because rainfall has been well below normal every single year; and • Because water stored as groundwater in our local basins remain at record lows.
In fact, less water is stored as groundwater today than 64 years ago when the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District was created to import water from Northern California from the new California Aqueduct that was being constructed.
It must work for a region that is continuing to grow.
You are reading these side-by-side columns because soon you’ll be asked to vote for the director to serve you the next four years.
I am the director, running for re-election who you chose in 2014.
The Valley District staff reports that annual rainfall and the amount of water stored as groundwater in our local basins has declined for the past 20 years.