Water restrictions lifted in Southern California amid rainy winter

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said in a statement Wednesday that the decision by its board reflected improvements to some of the state’s water sources, which supply about a quarter of Southern California’s water. ‘Significant challenges remain’ on the Colorado River.

Water utilities have encouraged residents to continue to use water efficiently to “prepare for the potential for a significant reduction in supply from the Colorado River.”

Board member Tracy Quinn said in a statement, “Southern California continues to run out of water supplies.” We can store more water for the next year.”

The water restrictions imposed last June came as extreme drought hit the state for the third year in a row. Some water departments in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties have been asked to limit outdoor watering to one day a week and keep usage within certain thresholds. Some jurisdictions imposed hefty fines for those who did not follow the rules and placed water monitors to search parcels for runaway trickles and excessive sprinklers.

“The amount of water we’re getting is unbelievable,” said Mike McNutt, spokesman for the Las Villegenes City Water Authority in Southern California. “Complete whiplash.”

The Las Virgines district vigorously enforced last year’s water restrictions, installing devices to restrict water flow in hundreds of homes that repeatedly failed to stay within their water budgets, and helping the affluent north of Los Angeles. Hill residents were encouraged to conserve water. The district ultimately surpassed last year’s water conservation goals, using less than half the water in December 2022 compared to December 2020, McNutt said. .

He said he hopes the spirit of conserving water and staying off thirsty grass continues.

“We may not be in drought right now, but that drought mentality needs to move forward,” he said.

Last summer’s restrictions focused on communities fed by the California Water Project, which carries water from northern California to the south through reservoirs and canals. At the time, agencies that depended on state water projects only got 5% of their quota. That number increased to 35% for him because of the wet weather this winter.

California reservoirs have risen dramatically this winter. Her two largest reservoirs in the state, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, were at very low levels last summer. They are now close to or above the historical average, and last week a California official released water from Lake Oroville for the first time in his four years.

Recent rains have also caused a levee breach in Monterey County’s Pajarro River, flooding the farmworker town of Pajaro. Elsewhere, there have been debris flows and evacuation orders amid rising water levels after the 11th atmospheric river since December.