An image of the piers in the Salton Sea, a lake in the southeast of the state.
California is experiencing its worst drought since 1977.Aude Guerrucci / Reuters
California is preparing for one of its harshest summers. The state is experiencing the worst drought recorded since 1977. Temperatures are on the rise and specialists believe that the next few weeks could be devastating during the fire season. With all this on the horizon, Governor Gavin Newsom today appealed to citizens to reduce water consumption by 15% in the homes of the entity, which has a population of 40 million people. "To respond to this challenge we must all do our part while the State builds a more resilient water system that safeguards the future," said the local president from Lake Lopez, in San Luis Obispo, one of the great bodies of water. that are at minimal levels.
The local government asks for sacrifices.
None too large: reduce garden watering;
run the dishwasher and clothes washer when full, fix leaks, install energy-saving showers, and cut down on bathing time.
Water levels are at historic lows because this year it has not rained and because there was little snow in the Sierra Nevada, another important source of liquid for the most populous state in the United States.
The authorities believe that the voluntary reduction in the use of the liquid from the levels of 2020, a year in which Newsom himself had already pleaded to take care of the water, could save an area of 3,400 square kilometers for future use, enough to supply 1.7 million people. homes for a year, according to figures from the governor's office.
The petition asks to repeat the efforts of citizens during the great dry season that occurred between 2012 and 2016. The measures adopted by ordinary people led to the per capita use of water falling by 21% since 2013. The sectors urban use approximately 16% less water than the average for that year.
Despite the severe situation facing not only California, but the entire western United States, Governor Newsom has wanted to avoid a tone of emergency. The Democratic politician will face a special election on September 14 where the position will be played. The pandemic is the first contingency that threatens its chances of success, but the advance of vaccination and its efforts to provide normality in the State have made the possibilities decline. Now the drought and the damage that it can cause appears as the main drag on the way to the referendum.
Political analysts believe that this situation has made Newsom think better of it before decreeing a state of emergency for the entire entity.
The governor, on the other hand, announced this Thursday that the state of emergency extends to nine more counties: Inyo, Marin, Mono, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Bárbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.
The proclamation helps these cities more easily get help from state and federal agencies.
The announcement places 50 of 58 counties on state of emergency terrain.
Fire preparation
Joe Biden's White House is preparing a response plan to the fire season, which promises to be devastating in a year that has left very high temperatures in the west of the country.
The president will announce, according to Reuters, a rise in salaries and bonuses for the 15,000 firefighters who will be on the battle line fighting the fires.
None of them will earn less than $ 15 an hour.
The Forest Service and the Office of Land Management have made ominous forecasts for this fire season, which the Administration will begin to face with the same severity as hurricanes.
Since 2015 there are 100 more fires each year on average than the previous season.
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