From San Bernardino County: After years of drought, record rainfall up North is filling up reservoirs like Lake Oroville, the State Water Project’s primary storage location.
“The precipitation that re-fills our underground storage basins is actually below average, so far,” said Bob Tincher, manager of water resources for San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District.
“So if it were to stop raining today, even with the wet year in Northern California, our groundwater storage levels could actually decrease again this year,” Tincher said the Inland Empire needs the equivalent of three consecutive above average precipitation years to refill local groundwater basins.
“The images we’re seeing in the news of Northern California reservoirs being filled to the brim are certainly creating the impression that the drought is over, but our local groundwater basins, which get us through droughts, continue to be at historically low levels.” Much of the water that refills our largest groundwater basin comes from the watersheds of Lytle Creek, the Santa Ana River and Mill Creek, all of which have essentially had below average rainfall for 16 of the last 18 years.
Dramatic savings can be had with just a few changes, such as eliminating the grass you do nothing but mow, and adjusting your sprinklers throughout the year to avoid runoff on your street, driveway and sidewalks.
“As your wholesale water agency, Valley District will be asking the people we serve by importing water from Northern California to continue conserving water and eliminating water waste both inside and outside your home.”.
Your water provider can help.
Valley District also offers $1 per square foot for turf removal that is presently available through their retail water provider.
Information on rebates, conservation tips and other resources are available at iEfficient.com.
Taking steps today to become efficient ensures a safe, high-quality water supply for the future.

California landscapes starting to return after drought.
At Lake Oroville, north of Sacramento, dramatic photos show deeply receded waters a year ago, with boats having to huddle closely together just to remain afloat.
In just a year, the lake has doubled its water volume, from about 1.5 million acre feet to 2.7 million now.
Similarly Redwood Creek in Humboldt County has seen a renewed lushness along its watershed as it passes through Muir Woods and flows to the ocean.
Maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor also starkly illustrate the improvement.
Recent rainstorms have helped to bring large swaths of the state out of the drought in one year, though Southern California still remains too dry.
(U.S. Drought Monitor) Last year at this time, almost 97 percent of the state was considered to be at some level of drought.
Today the figure is down to 58 percent, with the most severe levels, technically termed "exceptional drought," remaining only in about two percent of the state, centered around the coast of Southern California as illustrated in the darkest red areas of the map.
While the storms have renewed waterways and landscapes, they have also brought serious flooding to many parts of the state, from the Bay Area to the Inland Empire.
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