Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 08:40:39 EDT
Summary: Continuing severe drought impacting many through out California.
Update, Drought continues in California where the US Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/) is now showing most of the state to be experiencing "Extreme to Exceptional" drought. Waterwatch is showing moderate to extreme drought through out the state for the month of August with below normal monthly average streamflow compared to historical data.
According to estimates from various sources farmers are expected to see damages due to lost crops in 2014 estimated to reach $5 billion as a result of the continuing drought. With no water deliveries from the State Water Project or BOR's Central Valley Project farmers are increasingly turning to groundwater supplies for their needs creating a threat of overpumping the San Joaquin aquifer system which may lead to infrastructure damage due to subsidence.
Low flow measurements of record were made at 7 sites in July and August. Orifi and ratings at several sites have needed to be extended as a result of continuing dry conditions. The last recordable statewide rainfall took place in March, 2015 continuing a three year trend of below average precipitation through out California.
334 Streamgages were surveyed on July 31 with a resulting 90 % of them having discharges of less than the median historical discharge for that day, and 63% of these gages had discharges less than 10 % of the historical median.
Number of streamgages damaged or destroyed. (1 sentence) None
CAWSC Drought webpage:
http://ca.water.usgs.gov/data/drought/