SLO County slips back into ‘severe’ drought conditions as rain taunts forecast again
San Luis Obispo County has slipped back into worsening drought conditions as little rain has fallen in the region this year.
The U.S. Drought Monitor’s latest map categorizes most of San Luis Obispo County as experiencing “severe” drought conditions. The eastern-most edge along Kern County is experiencing “extreme” drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Sound familiar?
The county was facing very similar conditions in early December but had a short respite when several inches of rain fell across the region. But since then, there have only been a few smatterings of precipitation that have done little else aside from keep the grasses green.
Typically, in January and February, the county sees about 6 to 7 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
This year, less than half an inch of rain fell in the county in the two months combined.
The National Weather Service is predicting a 70% chance of rain in San Luis Obispo on Saturday to possibly continue falling through the early hours of the night.
However, the system is expected to bring less than 0.1 inches of rain, according to local PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey.
The lack of rain has now begun to reverse the trend of rising lake levels that occurred following the December rains, according to data from the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department and Monterey County Water Resources Agency.
The three main local reservoirs — Santa Margarita Lake, Lopez Lake and Lake Nacimiento — have each fallen one percentage point from their peak levels measured earlier this year.
Santa Margarita Lake now sits at about 63% capacity; Lopez Lake, northeast of Arroyo Grande, is at about 29% capacity, and Lake Nacimiento is at 28% capacity.
A one percentage point drop in capacity at Santa Margarita Lake translates into roughly 246 acre-feet less water in the reservoir, or about 80.2 million gallons. For Lopez Lake, there’s about 495 acre-feet less water in the reservoir, or about 161.3 million gallons.
The drop at Lake Nacimiento means about 493 million fewer gallons of water are held in that reservoir and it currently holds about 34.7 billion gallons of water.
The worsening drought conditions across California means Gov. Gavin Newsom has renewed his calls for residents to conserve water where they can. In July, Newsom first called upon Californians to reduce water consumption by 15% — which most areas of the state, including San Luis Obispo County, have fallen far short of so far.
Locally, only Arroyo Grande has mandatory water reduction measures imposed upon its water customers as a result of the current drought. The city draws its water from Lopez Lake.
How you can save more water
Many local utility companies have rebate programs for common home appliances that can save substantial amounts of water each year. Some offer turf removal rebates — also known as “cash for grass” in a few communities — or rebates on water-efficient appliances such as shower heads, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers.
You may also find rebates through your local utility that encourage installing more efficient irrigation systems in your yard, reducing high water pressure and harvesting rainwater.
Several city utility companies run the SLO Waterwise Landscaping website, where you can find tips on how to sustainably grow a garden full of native plants that conserve water. That website can be found at www.slowaterwiselandscaping.com.
For more water-saving tips, visit www.saveourwater.com.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
