Yes, it’s that bad: Gov. Edmund G. Brown confirmed on Friday that California’s drought has reached crisis proportions, as he proclaimed a State of Emergency and called upon all Californians to conserve water in the face of the driest year in recorded state history.

That applies to the Santa Clarita Valley, too, and the Castaic Lake Water Agency supports the Governor’s proclamation and message of conservation.

“Everyone sees the anecdotal evidence on a day-to-day basis: Sunny skies, no rain, unseasonal brush fires,” said CLWA General Manager Dan Masnada. “But if anyone doubted the seriousness of this statewide drought, the Governor’s proclamation should eliminate that doubt. The state’s snowpack is about 20 percent of normal, and there’s no relief in sight.”

CLWA joined in the Governor’s call for conservation, urging Santa Clarita Valley water users to voluntarily curtail their use of water to the greatest extent possible as California faces dry conditions that rival those of the historic 1977 drought.

“On one hand, as we’ve said numerous times, we are fortunate that advance planning by CLWA and the four local water retailers has prepared us for droughts, even significant ones like this,” Masnada said. “We have a diverse water supply portfolio, and we can draw from stored water supplies, utilizing water that we’ve ‘banked’ in previous years to shore up our supplies in a dry year.”

However, Masnada said, despite this available supply, it’s still important for local residents to conserve — and for several reasons.

“Even though our local situation is not as dire as it is in many other portions of the state, we of course have to recognize that we are part of the bigger statewide picture, and we must do our part as Californians to conserve our resources,” Masnada said. “And, by conserving water, residents can help CLWA mitigate the costs of accessing those stored water supplies. This includes expenses like the additional electricity needed to pump that water from the storage sites and bring it to the Santa Clarita Valley via the State Water Project aqueduct that terminates at Castaic Lake”.
In his State of Emergency Declaration, Brown ordered state officials to help farmers and communities that are economically impacted by the drought, and to make sure the state can step in to assist if communities face drinking water shortages. He also asked all Californians to cut water use by 20 percent, directed state agencies to reduce water use and called for firefighting resources to be beefed up.

“We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens, including dramatically less water for our farms and communities and increased fires in both urban and rural areas,” Brown said. “I’ve declared this emergency and I’m calling all Californians to conserve water in every way possible.”

CLWA Board President Tom Campbell said he’s confident in the ability of CLWA, the four local water retailers and SCV residents to conserve.

“In cooperation with the local water retailers, we’ve been promoting an ongoing ethic of water use efficiency for several years. While our community has responded well, this looks like it’s time to up our game,” Campbell said. “Now, we’re asking everyone to go the extra mile and conserve whenever and wherever possible, not only to help maximize our local supplies, but also to do our part within the bigger picture of the statewide crisis.”

Santa Clarita Valley residents interested in tips and information on local water conservation programs can visit www.clwa.org and click on the “Conservation” menu. The text of the Governor’s proclamation and the accompanying state press release can be found online at www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18368. Details on the state’s water conservation awareness campaign can be found at www.saveourh2o.org.

About the Castaic Lake Water Agency:

The Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is the Santa Clarita Valley’s public water wholesaler. CLWA is one of 29 State Water Project contractors and receives water imported from northern California and the San Joaquin Valley through the California Aqueduct.  CLWA operates two large treatment plants, three major pump stations, three water storage facilities and over 45 miles of large diameter transmission pipelines delivering water to four local water retailers.  Our mission is to provide reliable, quality water at a reasonable cost to the Santa Clarita Valley. www.clwa.org

Yes, it’s that bad: Gov. Edmund G. Brown confirmed on Friday that California’s drought has reached crisis proportions, as he proclaimed a State of Emergency and called upon all Californians to conserve water in the face of the driest year in recorded state history.

That applies to the Santa Clarita Valley, too, and the Castaic Lake Water Agency supports the Governor’s proclamation and message of conservation.

“Everyone sees the anecdotal evidence on a day-to-day basis: Sunny skies, no rain, unseasonal brush fires,” said CLWA General Manager Dan Masnada. “But if anyone doubted the seriousness of this statewide drought, the Governor’s proclamation should eliminate that doubt. The state’s snowpack is about 20 percent of normal, and there’s no relief in sight.”

CLWA joined in the Governor’s call for conservation, urging Santa Clarita Valley water users to voluntarily curtail their use of water to the greatest extent possible as California faces dry conditions that rival those of the historic 1977 drought.

“On one hand, as we’ve said numerous times, we are fortunate that advance planning by CLWA and the four local water retailers has prepared us for droughts, even significant ones like this,” Masnada said. “We have a diverse water supply portfolio, and we can draw from stored water supplies, utilizing water that we’ve ‘banked’ in previous years to shore up our supplies in a dry year.”

However, Masnada said, despite this available supply, it’s still important for local residents to conserve — and for several reasons.

“Even though our local situation is not as dire as it is in many other portions of the state, we of course have to recognize that we are part of the bigger statewide picture, and we must do our part as Californians to conserve our resources,” Masnada said. “And, by conserving water, residents can help CLWA mitigate the costs of accessing those stored water supplies. This includes expenses like the additional electricity needed to pump that water from the storage sites and bring it to the Santa Clarita Valley via the State Water Project aqueduct that terminates at Castaic Lake”.

In his State of Emergency Declaration, Brown ordered state officials to help farmers and communities that are economically impacted by the drought, and to make sure the state can step in to assist if communities face drinking water shortages. He also asked all Californians to cut water use by 20 percent, directed state agencies to reduce water use and called for firefighting resources to be beefed up.

“We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens, including dramatically less water for our farms and communities and increased fires in both urban and rural areas,” Brown said. “I’ve declared this emergency and I’m calling all Californians to conserve water in every way possible.”

CLWA Board President Tom Campbell said he’s confident in the ability of CLWA, the four local water retailers and SCV residents to conserve.

“In cooperation with the local water retailers, we’ve been promoting an ongoing ethic of water use efficiency for several years. While our community has responded well, this looks like it’s time to up our game,” Campbell said. “Now, we’re asking everyone to go the extra mile and conserve whenever and wherever possible, not only to help maximize our local supplies, but also to do our part within the bigger picture of the statewide crisis.”

Santa Clarita Valley residents interested in tips and information on local water conservation programs can visit www.clwa.org and click on the “Conservation” menu. The text of the Governor’s proclamation and the accompanying state press release can be found online at: www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18368. Details on the state’s water conservation awareness campaign can be found at www.saveourh2o.org.

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About the Castaic Lake Water Agency:

The Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is the Santa Clarita Valley’s public water wholesaler. CLWA is one of 29 State Water Project contractors and receives water imported from northern California and the San Joaquin Valley through the California Aqueduct. CLWA operates two large treatment plants, three major pump stations, three water storage facilities and over 45 miles of large diameter transmission pipelines delivering water to four local water retailers. Our mission is to provide reliable, quality water at a reasonable cost to the Santa Clarita Valley. www.clwa.org