You are now in San Diego County category.

Todd Barneck crouches near a trickle of storm water deep within the bones of the concrete Los Angeles River and gently lays in a thermometer. “That’s 16 degrees C, or about 60 degrees Fahrenheit,” he announces to the group. Wearing a knit cap and cargo pants, he moves from task to task, scooping water samples and snapping photos of trash, including a gold, high-heeled shoe found floating amidst a week’s worth of run-off surprises.

The drought may not be an emergency now, but we still need to be water wise. If nothing else, the drought restrictions have proven that we can survive with less water. Watering lawns every day and seeing the water run down the street became less obvious with the drought restrictions and hopefully will remain that way. Everyone needs to get educated on proper lawn care such as proper mowing, fertilization and watering times. You don’t have to water every day to have a nice lawn and maintain the looks of our community.

After years of brown lawns and millions of dead trees, California has finally reached a point where most of the state is officially drought-free. The state’s snowpack is now at 193 percent the average for this time of year compared to two years ago when the snowpack was well under 10 percent come spring — the most diminished snowpack in centuries. The apparent end of the drought across much of the state has officials debating whether to halt the mandatory conservation measures Californians have grown accustomed to.

 

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors Thursday declared an end to drought conditions in the region, citing heavy local rainfall and snow in western mountain areas. According to the Water Authority, precipitation at San Diego’s official reporting station at Lindbergh Field is 172 percent of average at this time. Statewide snow-water content is 193 percent of average, while the snowpack in the Colorado River Basin — where San Diego obtains some of its water — is also well above normal, the SDCWA reported.

 

The San Diego County Water Authority approved a resolution Thursday declaring an end to the drought in San Diego County. The rationale: Record-setting winter precipitation in the Northern Sierra, coupled with heavy local rainfall and a significant snowpack in the upper Colorado River basin. The board resolution also calls on Gov. Jerry Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board to rescind the statewide emergency water-use regulation for areas of California that are no longer in drought condition227