Skip to main content

California Drought Triggers Record Water Shortage

CBN

Share This article

A historic drought in California has led to the worst water shortage in more than a century. The Golden State has seen little to no rain this year, affecting residents, farmers, and soon possibly the rest of the country.

Parched fields, starving livestock, and near-empty water reservoirs led Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a drought emergency.

That was two weeks ago. Today, there's still no rain.

"Simply put, there is not enough water to go around," Mark Cowin, director of the California Department of Water Resources, said.

On Friday, state officials announced there is no water left in the main distribution system, and they won't be delivering any water to local agencies this year.

Instead, those users will have to rely on other sources.

"Today's actions mean everyone -- farmers, fish, people -- will get less water as a result," Cowin said. "But these actions will protect us all better in the long run."

The move affects more than 25 million people, most notably California's farmers.

"The citrus belt, the grapes, the nuts -- all of them -- is the east side. When you take them to zero water allocation, it's going to be a major crisis for those cities," Mario Santoyo, with the Latino Water Coalition, said.

The drought's impact could spread across the country, pinching the nation's food supply.

"I think this year we'll see maybe a little less product, maybe a little smaller. If we have another year like this, though, it will be a tragedy," Earl Herrick, owner of Earl's Organic Produce, said.

California has already experienced three years of below-average rain and snow. Now, 17 communities and water districts are within 100 days of running out of water completely.

Gov. Brown is asking everyone to do his or her part to conserve.

"Don't flush more than you have to," he said. "Don't shower more than you need to. Turn the water off when you're shaving or brushing your teeth."

Share This article