Governor Gavin Newsom pays a surprise visit to San Luis Obispo county to talk about the drought in California. Speaking to the state from banks of Lopez lake near Arroyo Grande, he described the drought situation facing the state. The governor says he’s asking Californians to reduce water use by 15%.
You may remember in May he proposed a $5 billion dollar package for water infrastructure and drought response. It’s part of his $100 billion dollar California comeback plan. The money would address issues like leaky canals, polluted wells, and restoring natural flood plains. It does not specifically mention building new dams or water storage, or addressing rampant illegal immigration into the state from the Mexican border, which impacts demands on water in the state. The 15% reduction in water consumption is voluntary. It will be measured monthly by the California state water resources.
Looking at reservoir levels today in the north county. Lake Nacimiento is at about 20% of capacity. That’s down from 24% two weeks ago. Santa margarita lake is at 64%. That water collected in the hills at the south end of the north county is transported by a tunnel to San Luis Obispo. It provides drinking water to the Five Cities and San Luis Obispo.
The city of Paso Robles has encouraged residents to avoid watering between nine in the morning and seven at night. More stringent restrictions on water use may manifest during the dog days of summer.
