February storms wash away drought conditions. Will San Diegans continue to conserve?
February storms have left California flush with water, relieving concerns the state could quickly slip back into the drought conditions that plagued it for much of the last decade.
Less than 3 percent of the state is now experiencing drought, down from nearly 84 percent just three months ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. At the same time, the states frozen reservoir of mountain snowpack is already 124 percent of average for the season.
San Diego County remains one of the few parts of the state to still be labeled as abnormally dry, according to the drought monitor. While rainfall this winter has already exceeded average, the region is still recovering from a severe deficit in precipitation, and researchers say impacts to vegetation and reservoirs linger.
Still, the San Diego region, which imports nearly 80 percent of its water, has more than adequate supplies to meet urban and agricultural demands. Water managers, in fact, said they are in talks over storing water the region gets from the drought-stricken Colorado River at Lake Mead.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/sd-me-drought-conservation-habits-20190304-story.html