A nearly empty section of Lake Oroville is seen from above in Oroville, California on September 5, 2021. - Lake Oroville is currently at 23% of its capacity and is suffering from extreme levels of drought. Much of California in the western US is curr …
SAN FRANCISCO - Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday extended California's drought emergency to cover the entire state. The proclamation now includes San Francisco among seven new counties added that are asked to voluntarily conserve water.
The governor had previously asked the state's residents to reduce water use by 15% in July, but by August, state officials said use had only dropped by 5% despite the executive order.
The latest proclamation adds San Francisco, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties included in the state of emergency.
In a press release, state officials warn of near-record low storage in the state's largest reservoirs amid the second driest year on record for the State of California.
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Through the governor's proclamation, the State Water Resources Control Board is empowered to ban wasteful water practices. That includes washing sidewalks and driveways.
"As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible," Newsom said. Newsom linked the severity and recurrence of drought to climate change. August 2021 was the driest and hottest August on record since reporting began, state officials said.
Water suppliers are mandated by proclamation to have a contingency plan in place in the event of a third dry year. The state has agreed to spending $5.2 billion over three years to support an immediate drought response and for long-term water resilience.
For more on conservation tips and on the California drought, go to drought.ca.gov.