A freeway sign urges residents to conserve water amid a severe drought. (Photo: F Armstrong Photography/Shutterstock)
Silicon Valley Has 20-40 Inches of Rain, Flooding, But Clings to ‘Severe Drought’
Droughts are naturally occurring; water shortages are created by government
By Katy Grimes, January 18, 2023 3:30 pm
The California Department of Water Resources announced that snowpack levels have reached nearly 250%, the Globe reported Tuesday. Specifically, the Northern Sierra region is currently at 209% of snowpack, with the Central Sierra/Tahoe region coming in at 246%, and the Southern Sierra region, which largely feeds the Central Valley and Southern areas of the state, at 288%.
“Local water supply authorities warn that residents and property owners should continue to conserve water and behave as though drought conditions will persist through the winter,” Metro Silicon Valley reported.
Why can’t we trust California’s water boards of directors? How can any of them order water users to act as though drought conditions will persist through the winter, as the Silicon Valley Water Board has done.
According to rain gauge reports on Valley Water’s website, areas in Santa Clara County have received from 20-40 inches of rain so far this winter, Metro Silicon Valley reported. “The average annual rainfall for South County is about 24 inches.”
Yet the Valley Water Board website screams “Santa Clara County is in a Severe Drought,” and “Let’s Say Yes to Saving Water.”
It’s also “Climate Change,” which predominates their website along with “Severe Drought” warnings.
The bulk of the front page of the Valley Water Board website is about water conservation: Indoor and outdoor water conservation; landscape guides, reporting water wasters, water saving devices, and the like.
Yet Metro Silicon Valley reports and shows a photo of “Uvas Creek at Christmas Hill Park is shown overflowing earlier in January.”
While the county is flooding in some areas, the website steadfastly insists, “Santa Clara County is in a severe drought emergency. Learn about the latest developments and regulations by visiting our Drought Information page.”
Looking at the map of Santa Clara County below, I count 12 reservoirs spaced throughout the county.
“In spite of the recent rain, Santa Clara County remains in a drought emergency,” Valley Water spokesperson Matt Keller asserts, Metro Silicon Valley reports.
Reservoirs across the state are filling up rapidly with the storms. Four reservoirs in Santa Clara County alone topped out at over 100% capacity, with others, while still under capacity, are quickly approaching average January levels, the Globe reported. Shasta currently sits at 80% normal January capacity, with Oroville currently at 99%. Others include Don Pedro at 103%, Camanche at 122%, and Folsom being at 110%. In Southern California, reservoir levels are also better than expected, with Diamond Valley at 84% and LA County alone catching 33 billion gallons of rainwater for later public use – enough to supply over 800,000 people with water for a whole year.
Why can’t bureaucrats act like real people? Why can’t they acknowledge the blessed current abundance of rain and snow, and talk about how wonderful it is, filling up reservoirs, and replenishing aquifers and groundwater, while reminding water users to always remain water vigilant?
As we have yet another storm rolling in this evening in Northern California, I am reminded that the state’s reservoirs were designed to hold 7 years worth of water for the state. But the State Water Resources Control Board authorized half of California’s water to run out to the ocean every year. The second half is shared between urban users (cities) at 10% and agriculture at 40%. Some non-indigenous fish and environmental needs are prioritized ahead of humans and agriculture – food for humans.
Remember, droughts are naturally occurring; water shortages are created by government.
California’s “drought” won’t be over until we stop emptying our reservoirs into the ocean.
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In the upside-down world of woke new speak “green” a flood is a drought. Freedom is slavery don’t ya know?
Katy rightly asks why can’t we trust California’s water boards of directors and why can’t they act like real people? Maybe the answer is that in addition to their lucrative pay and benefits, they also receive payoffs from some source to push the climate change agenda? Maybe it’s the World Economic Forum globalist cabal and/or the CCP that are paying them?
Our Ruling Class always has to have “never let a crisis go to waste” on tap, right? They must keep the Govt-and-Politician-Dem-Created-Drought eternally in their Bag of Weaponized Tricks. Disgusting jerks
Having attended the Zoom meeting today of the California State Water Resources Control Board in which their 2023-2025 Racial Equity Action Plan was discussed, it appears that many water boards have been taken over by radical woke leftists just as many school boards have. It was an eye-opening experience where “racial equity” and “environmental justice” took precedence over providing water for all Californians.
Yikes, when will these wokies learn that water does not discriminate????
Not sure if anyone remembers AB 1810, the 2018 budget trailer bill (as I recall the author was unknown at the time) under the last year of Jerry Brown’s governorship. It instituted a two-year mental health diversion program for violent and other crimes with the trial postponed for that period of time, or deep-sixed altogether. (E.g., “See a therapist once a week” was one of the ludicrous requirements, with no other restrictions.) The result was that when it became law in June 2018 it essentially legalized murder, rape, arson, DUI, etc. It happened under the radar and only a handful of news outlets even covered it. It was clawed back somewhat with a “fix” over the course of that summer, although with “justice reform” efforts and all the leftist nonsense since, the then-shocking provisions of AB 1810 seem almost quaint if not entirely moot.
It turned out then-state-Sen Jim Beall’s name was on the bill as author, although whether he was a puppet or a true-believer backer I never knew; we have been bombarded with so many arguably more destructive events since those relatively-halcyon days of Summer 2018, after all. The point is, look at who is on this water board: Good old former Sen Jim Beall. I believe he is otherwise thought to be “retired.”
In addition, as you probably already know, Mario, water board seats have long been used as stepping-stones for higher elected office. In my SoCal region they have been populated by leftists for many years. Once upon a time the water boards were full of engineers who actually knew their onions about water and infrastructure issues. No more……
The bay area is saturated. Tree’s cannot uptake anymore water and some fall because of it. I witnessed this in my neighborhood on Monday. A healthy, beautiful tree, went sideways 5 minutes after we walked underneath it.
The small town of Sunol, north of San Jose was under water. I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime.
As Katy states, we do not have a water shortage issue we have a water storage crisis.
This negative nanny state is purposely denying it’s citizens of life saving water!
Government has very few true responsibilities, one is infrastructure to provide public utilities to citizens.
California government fails at one of the most important tasks imposed on them.
Cali Girl, all I have to say is thank God you were five minutes ahead of that tree falling while you were on your walk! Very scary. Oaks and eucalyptus are succumbing down here. I understand oaks especially are dangerous in wet weather because they’re “drought-tolerant.” We’re told down here not to water them in the city parkways. (How accurate that info is I haven’t verified myself, though.) But I do hope everyone reading this will be extra vigilant when out and about, and not only because of the muggers and car-jackers. And sinkholes. And potholes. And insane drivers. SIGH!
Don’t worry, Newsom will have his minions leave the plug outta the bathtubs and the water will recede more quickly than one imagines… /sarc
“Never let a crisis go to waste” (Some famous jackwagon Democrat)
We need to SERIOUSLY investigate California election integrity and the processes used to tabulate votes…we are being led by evil, STUPID people who are COMPLETELY CORRUPT….
Ruling Democrats elite do NOT want SOLUTIONS they want PROBLEMS, so they can run on them to never solve and be able to control the people
The state’s reservoirs are still below historical average levels, and water demand from urban and agricultural users remains high. The Colorado River, Lake Meade and Lake Powell are still well below seasonal normal. Live reservoir updates at the link below. CDEC also has live snowpack data from sensors across the Sierra.
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain
I drove through the central valley first part of January, I couldn’t believe the standing water along the 5 freeway. I thought I was driving through a Louisiana bayou. The snowpack in Tahoe is unbelievable. They can say were are still in a drought, but the evidence is quite the contrary.
The thing to keep in mind is, when have the Democrats ever improved people’s living conditions and freedom? I can’t think of one thing the Democrats have done to make my life better. Quite the contrary. They create shortages, inflation, freedoms taken away, income drained with higher and higher taxes, crime, rationing, congestion, homeless drug addicts, schools that indoctrinate rather than teach.
Water rationing and shortages (real or not) is just another symptom of Democrat totalitarian government goals. Communism breeds hardship and failure.
Even if we didn’t get one for snowflake in the Sierra’s, we would still be at 125% of the April 1 average.
We have plenty of flakes in this state. They are called Democrats, also known at Commucrats.