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A bountiful snowpack doesnt provide a complete picture of the state of water in the Golden State.
Essential California
April 03, 2024
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By Ryan Fonseca
Good morning. Its Wednesday, April 3. Heres what you need to know to start your day.
Californias snowpack season ends on a healthy note. But...
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And heres todays e-newspaper
Californias snowpack is healthy, but our water system needs some help
Its that exciting time of year when state water officials make their way to Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada and stick a pole in the snow.
Tuesday marked the final snow survey of the season, which recorded more than 5 feet of snow at the annual measuring spot. The physical gauge is just one part of the intricate system used to calculate how much snow accumulates in the Sierra Nevada each year. More frozen water now means more melted water makes its way to major downstream reservoirs, key supplies to get through the dry months ahead.
So hows it looking up there? The snowpack reached 110% of average for April 1. Currently, Californias major reservoirs are at 116% of average levels overall. Those levels are set to increase as more snow melts this spring and summer.
California is wrapping up its second consecutive strong wet season. Last April 1, the snowpack measured 237% of the historical average. And despite a drier start to this winter that brought fears of a snow drought, the series of storms that doused much of the state in February and March quelled worries among state officials.
You can take a deep breath this year, but dont quadruple the amount of time in your shower, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a media briefing at Phillips Station.
But a strong snowpack doesnt provide a complete picture of the state of water in the Golden State, as Times reporter Ian James noted:
Even with its reservoirs at healthy levels, California faces complex water management problems, such as struggling fish populations and the depletion of groundwater in many farming areas. Chronic shortages of water from the Colorado River, a key source for Southern California, are also forcing water managers to make plans for scaling back water use.
Newsoms tone Tuesday was less celebratory and more cautionary as he made it clear that the state needed to bolster efforts to modernize its water system, which he said was designed for a world that no longer exists. As climate change drives more extreme weather conditions meaning a worsening whipsaw of droughts and flooding how will the state protect and improve vital water supplies?
A recent report from the Pacific Institute found that California lets nearly 2.3 million acre-feet of stormwater wash out to sea each year. That works out to hundreds of billions of gallons.
State officials hope to reduce those losses, releasing the latest update to the California Water Plan, in which they explain their intent to focus on the innovation and investments in Californias watersheds, water systems, and communities needed for a resilient and equitable future.
On Tuesday, Newsom pointed to renewed efforts to capture more stormwater, recharge depleted groundwater and invest in major infrastructure projects. That includes the Sites Reservoir, as well as the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, which aims to transport water beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta via a 45-mile tunnel.
State officials say the $16-billion water tunnel would help capture more winter water that currently ends up in the ocean. But the project is proving to be an uphill (or upstream) battle. The plan is being fought in court by environmental groups, tribal leaders and fishing advocates, who argue the tunnel project would harm the deltas already jeopardized ecosystem.
Wonder how strong or scarce the Sierra Nevadas snowpack has been over time? Check out this graphic from Times data journalist Sean Greene, visualizing two decades of snowpack.
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Commentary and opinions
Anita Chabria: Trump could gut abortion access in California if elected. Heres how.
Sammy Roth: Disneyland is ditching gas cars at Autopia. Its a great first step for Tomorrowland.
Editorial: California snow survey makes it official were all wet.
Editorial: Kill barred owls so spotted owls can live? Wildlife service should put plan on hold.
Robin Abcarian: I wanted to hate what UC Berkeley parents are doing in the name of safety, but I cant.
Editorial: Criminal justice reform is alive. Thank conservatives.
Todays great reads
Two men stand in their backyard, which is filled with plants including California poppies and a lemon tree
They transformed a sad, junk-filled yard into a DIY native plant wonderland. Its taken a decade, but Raul Rojas and Thomas Zamora have turned a Highland Park yard of hard dirt and junked cars into a lush expanse of native plants, succulents and vegetables.
Other great reads
Global wine glut compounds headaches for struggling California vineyards
He faces execution. His lawyers may have earned less than $4 an hour.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to .
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And finally ... a great photo
Show us your favorite place in California! Were running low on submissions. Send us photos that scream California and we may feature them in an edition of Essential California.
Paradise Cove Beach in Malibu.
Todays great photo is from Guillermo Mara of Los Angeles: Paradise Cove Beach. Mara writes:
Most of the year, my wife and I live in Uruguay. Los Angeles is our favorite place in the U.S., and we stay there for about two months every year. It is a tradition for us to visit Paradise Cove every year on our last day in Los Angeles. It is our special place to take a good sip of the Los Angeles atmosphere to keep in our hearts until our next visit.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorStephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
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