Jackie Meretsky

It is still the driest rain season to date in downtown Los Angeles since record keeping began in 1877! With the population of California on the rise, water demand will also rise which presents a very troubling scenario given the rainfall deficit numbers we're facing and the La Nina pattern persisting.

This morning, I was very pleased to see that the upper trof sliding down the West Coast would bring some rain, albeit a relatively small amount, to the California coastal areas on Friday. Any rain at all is a welcome sight for a state that received only 0.05 inches of rain in March which was more than 3 inches below the average rainfall for the month.

The big picture looks equally ominous as nature is pulling a nasty stunt by drying out the three primary water supplies that feeds this thirsty state: The Sierra, the Southland and the Colorado River Basin. There have been times in the past when one or two of these resources has had a below-average amount of rainfall or snowpack, but it is unprecedented for all resources to be tapped out, until the 2006/2007 season!

The Sierra snowpack is at its lowest level in decades although it did receive a hefty amount of snow in 2006 which the state is counting on to supply the reservoirs, but that won't last forever. Adding to this deficit, the Los Angeles area has received record-low rainfall this winter and the Colorado River Basin is experiencing a record-low drought, which is one of the worst it has experienced in centuries.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has built a large reservoir in Riverside County where they are storing as much water as they can underground. But climatologists are worried about a the big picture with drier La Nina conditions prevailing, which means that drought could persist in the southwest for years to come. The present and near future outlook (April to June) is quite grim, according to NOAA, with conditions expected to be roughly 33% drier than normal.

What does this mean for Californians? It could mean brown lawns, shorter showers and mandatory water rationing.

California could use a drink..make it a double!