Drought conditions for Northern California and Northern Nevada

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - This week's Drought Monitor shows much of the West in some level of drought. Lake Tahoe, the Sierra, and Western Nevada are all in a "moderate drought" stage with no end in the immediate future.

The 90-day outlook shows higher than average temperatures and lower than average precipitation, neither of which is good to break out of a drought.

Following below-average precipitation most of the winter, May storms delivered 181 percent of average in the Northern Sierra for this time of year, but the results aren't showing enough to remove the area from drought.

This year’s snowpack is the 11th driest on record since 1950 while precipitation stands as the 7th driest on record since 1977. Thirty percent of California’s annual water supply comes from snowpack.

South Tahoe Public Utility District supplies much of the water to South Lake Tahoe. All drinking water in South Lake Tahoe is pumped from underground aquifers through an intricate system of wells and water booster stations interspersed through the service area. No water is taken from Lake Tahoe. In order to conserve water and meet the state's goals, there are permanent water restrictions. Properties with street addresses ending with an even number can irrigate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; properties with street addresses ending with an odd number can irrigate on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. No irrigation permitted on Saturday. (those on a drip system are exempt from watering day restrictions)

The State Water Project (SWP) now expects to deliver 20 percent of requested supplies in 2020 thanks to that above-average precipitation in May, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced Friday. An initial allocation of 10 percent was announced in December and increased to 15 percent in January. Today’s announcement will likely be the final allocation update of 2020.

“May storms gave us a boost following a very dry winter and allowed us to increase allocations for communities and agriculture in California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “It’s another example of our state’s unpredictable precipitation that has been compounded by our changing climate. We must manage our water supply responsibly to not only deliver water now but ensure we have enough in reserves to protect us from future dry years.”

A 20 percent allocation amounts to 843,696 acre-feet of water. The SWP provides water to 29 SWP contractors who supply water to more than 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

- By Paula Peterson