State & Local Officials Continue to Urge Governor to End Drought Declaration
Senator Jim Nielsen’s Office, California’s 4th District holds PRESS ADVISORY.
Today, Senator Jim Nielsen, Assembly Members’ Brian Dahle, and Kevin Kiley held a Press Advisory via a conference call and in his Capitol office calling on the regulators to end the declared drought emergency. Water Officials participating with Senator Nielsen in his office included: John Kingsbury (Mountain Counties Water Resources Association, MCWRA), Supervisor Jim Holmes (County of Placer and Director of MCWRA), Barbara Balen (Vice Chair, Tuolumne Utilities District and Vice President, MCWRA), Dave Breninger (Ambassador, MCWRA), Bill George (Ex Officio, MCWRA), and Todd Manley (Northern California Water Association)
The State Water Resources Control Board is scheduled to vote Wednesday, February 8 on the continuation of the most restrictive water conservation in the nation. In spite of the abundance of rain and snow, state regulators are asking the Water Board to force Californians to conserve water.
This Press Advisory follows a letter signed by several legislators and regional water officials asking Governor to end the emergency drought proclamation.
With more rain and snow in the forecast and trillions of gallons of water flushing to the ocean, Northern California lawmakers and local water agencies have asked Governor Brown to end the emergency drought proclamation. In their letter, officials stated the following:
“Through your emergency declaration and outreach efforts, Californians are now more mindful and aware of the scarcity of our water. “Californians dutifully conserved water during the drought. We took out our lawns and substituted drought tolerant plants. We took shorter showers. We used more efficient watering systems on our gardens and farms. Perhaps most painfully, we fallowed our land and sold off our livestock out-of-state. “You asked us to do our part to save. We dutifully complied. “In fact, conservation had become widely practiced, particularly in agriculture, even before this most recent devastating and prolonged drought. “Californians have done their part. Let’s do our part and end the drought.”
Click here to view the letter to Governor Brown
MCWRA and several members and partners continue to send the Governor and State Water Board Officials letters calling for the emergency drought declaration to end. As of common concern, this is a statewide issue. Two recent letters, not previously posted, include a letter from northern California district member, El Dorado Irrigation District, and a letter from one of our southern California partner’s, Mesa Water District. And, colleagues from the The Municipal Water District of Orange County declares drought over in Orange County
MWDOC Board Declares Drought Emergency Over in Orange County
