LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With a major storm expected to hit Northern California Wednesday night, the National Weather Service has upgraded high wind watches to warnings for Lake County and other parts of the region.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento also issued a major storm watch, reporting on Tuesday that forecasters' confidence is increasing that the storm will be a severe one.

Part of what is driving the storm is a weather feature called an “atmospheric river,” a 250- to 400-mile-wide region that transports water vapor.

County residents are being urged to prepare for the storm, which is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds that could result in widespread power outages, downed trees, urban and small stream flooding, debris flows over recent burn scars and hazardous travel until Friday.

The National Weather Services' high wind warning is in effect from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 2 p.m. Thursday.

Forecasters are predicting wind gusts in Clearlake up to 35 miles per hour and as high as 60 miles per hour at higher elevations in Lake County.

Due to the anticipated heavy rain, a flood watch also is in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 10 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said.

A report from the Lake County Office of Emergency Services said heavy rains are expected to begin Wednesday night, with the heaviest precipitation on Thursday, lasting through Friday.

Rainfall totals could range from 3 to 8 inches, according to the updated forecast. Areas of the county along the Northshore and in the Cobb area are expected to have the highest precipitation amounts.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services warned that the heavy rain could lead to excessive runoff on local creeks and streams, flooding, and ponding of water in urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage areas and low lying spots. Country roads and farmlands along the banks of creeks, streams and other low lying areas are subject to flooding.

County residents also are advised to ensure their emergency supply kits are ready and available in case of power outages, keep trees trimmed and yard debris to a minimum, protect areas vulnerable to flooding with sandbags, and secure items such as lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants, or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.

Those needing information on sandbags can find more information here: bit.ly/131TbUM .

On Tuesday, Pacific Gas and Electric said it was implementing its emergency preparedness plans and utilizing advanced technology to be ready to restore service to impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible.

PG&E crews are prepared and ready to respond to power outages as soon as weather conditions permit the safe restoration of power. The utility also is prepositioning contract power restoration and vegetation management crews.

PG&E urged customers to have a personal or family preparedness plan in place.

In order to ensure safety, PG&E said low-hanging or downed power lines should always be treated as if they are energized and extremely dangerous. If you see damaged power lines or electrical equipment, call 911 immediately and then notify PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.

Those impacted by power outages also are urged to use battery-operated flashlights – not candles – due to the risk of fire, and to unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored.

One lamp can be left to as an alert when power returns. When power is restored, PG&E said it's best to turn your appliances back on one at a time.

During and after a storm, area residents also are urged to keep away from flooded areas and downed trees, as these areas could be hiding an energized power line.

For additional storm, power outage and power line safety information, visit http://www.pge.com/en/safety/naturaldisaster/stormsoutagessafety/index.page .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The fourth event of the Lake County Poet Laureate Reading Series takes place this Friday, Dec. 12, and will feature the poetry of Lake County Poet Laureate Emerita Sandra Wade.

The reading, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will take place at the Riviera Common Grounds Coffee House at 9736 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.

Presented by current Lake County Poet Laureate Casey Carney and Common Grounds proprietor Andrea Williams, the series is held on the second Friday of each month through April and is designed to showcase local poetry by presenting each of Lake County’s eight poet laureates in sequence, along with a guest poet and musician.

Admission is free, with a $5 suggested donation.

The poet laureate is an official appointment by a government or conferring institution for the purpose of promoting poetry in that jurisdiction. These appointments occur from local to national levels.

In Lake County, the two-year position began in 1998 with the appointment of Jim Lyle. In 2006, Sandra Wade was selected as the fourth poet laureate of Lake County.

Wade – who is well known as a driving force in the development and promotion of the Lake County literary and artistic communities – currently lives in Hailsham, England. 

Wade’s poetry will be read by her longtime friends Jacqueline Farley and Fran Ransley, both of whom are valuable contributors to the Lake County arts and literary communities.     

Born in Hertfordshire, England, Wade came to Lake County in 1970, settling in Lower Lake in 1977. 

During her 44 years as a Lake County resident, Wade served as president of the Lake County Writer’s Guild, helped publish the Wildflower Press, Clear Lake Clarion and Lake Currents magazines, and was instrumental in helping to establish the Lake County Arts Council in the early 1980s.
 
Selected as Lake County’s poet laureate in 2006, Wade encouraged creative writing and open mics throughout the county, spearheaded the Poetry Out Loud program in local high schools, and represented Lake County by attending statewide gatherings of poets laureate, and the convention of United Poets Laureate in Montgomery, Alabama.

Wade was instrumental in the creation and growth of KPFZ 88.1 FM, the county’s first FCC-licensed, listener-supported radio station, serving as a board member and board president, and hosting “Accent on Words,” a weekly literature program.

According to KPFZ founder and Station Manager Andy Weiss, “Sandra was always a great lover of community radio – because community radio is composed of unique sounds and ideas – both of which she embraced. She brought those qualities to the early days and the seeding of KPFZ.”

Wade’s poetry is described as ranging from the elegiac to the political, and from the spiritual to the nuts and bolts of living.

Her poetry has been published in numerous literary journals and magazines, and can be read online at http://lakecountyartscouncil.com and at www.poetslane.net .
 
Wade currently is participating and promoting poetry in her community. As a committee member for the annual Hailsham Festival of Arts and Culture, she introduced the first ever Poetry Contest for 2014, as she did for the Lake County Fair back in the 1970s.

Wade also continues to pursue her 33-year career as a massage therapist and yoga instructor, and is active the 12-step recovery community, as she was in Lake County.

The Dec. 12 reading also will feature guest poet David Agasi from Middletown and guest musician Herb Gura of Clearlake Oaks.

Casey Carney is the current Lake County poet laureate.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – John Exline recently was named acting forest supervisor for the Mendocino National Forest pending the selection and arrival of a permanent forest supervisor.

Exline's temporary appointment followed the announcement in October that Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune was leaving to accept the forest supervisor position with the Allegheny National Forest in Warren, Penn, as Lake County News has reported.

Exline is the deputy forest supervisor for the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California, a position he has held since March 2013.

He has worked for the Forest Service for more than 33 years, with most of his time spent on the Sequoia and Sierra National Forests.

Exline has a background in forestry, and also has served as a district ranger and acting forest supervisor.

Most recently, he completed a four-month assignment in the Washington Office as acting assistant director of forest management.

“While I have spent time on several Northern California forests during my career – including the Lassen and Shasta-Trinity National Forests – I have only been on the Mendocino National Forest once during a fire in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness Area,” Exline said. “This is an exciting opportunity to explore the diverse resources and opportunities on the Mendocino National Forest, as well as to connect with the partners and communities invested in this great landscape.”

He is originally from Philadelphia and holds a degree in biology from Lycoming College and a master’s degree in forest resource management from Duke University.

Exline arrived on the Mendocino National Forest Dec. 1, and spent his first week settling into the position and getting acquainted with employees.

“The Mendocino has a reputation for great employees and great work. I’m looking forward to leading this unique northern California forest while a permanent supervisor is selected,” Exline said.

Exline’s wife, Sue Exline, is the district ranger for the Ojai Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest. They have a daughter and son, both of whom are in college.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – It’s time to celebrate a quagga/zebra mussel-free Lake County by purchasing 2015 Lake County resident stickers for vessels. 

County officials reported that the Lake County Mussel Prevention Program is working.

Clear Lake is mussel-free because the August, 2014 water analysis by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife found no mussels.

The county of Lake is asking for the public's helping in keeping Clear Lake mussel-free.

In 2014 there has been an increase in infested counties in the state. There are now eight infested counties, including San Benito County, which has the only infestation of zebra mussels.

The state mussel sticker that residents get from the Department of Motor Vehicles when renewing their registration has nothing to do with the Lake County Mussel Prevention Program. It will not keep mussels out of Lake County, the county reported.

The Lake County mussel sticker, on the other hand, requires vessels be screened by a participating screener who determines whether vessels are at risk for transporting mussels here.

Boaters need both sets of mussel stickers – state and county – when launching in any water body in Lake County.

County officials said they don't expect area residents to keep up-to-date with which water bodies are infested, and so they offer that service.

However, the county asks that each time residents return from an out-of-county trip with their vessel that they stop by any of the participating screeners and be rescreened for free.

County residents are asked to continue their diligence and keep their boats clean, drained and dry.

For more information, visit http://www.nomussels.com/ .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With Northern California bracing for a big storm set to arrive midweek, forecasters have issued flood and high wind watches for Lake County and much of the rest of Northern California.

The flood and wind watches are the result of a forecast expecting significant precipitation – rainfall in lower elevations, snow in the mountains – that will begin Wednesday night and continue through Friday.

The flood watch will be in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m. Friday, while the high wind watch starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday and ends at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The updated forecast expects between 2 inches and 5 inches of rain in Lake County as a result of the storm.

Across Northern California, snow levels are expected to fall to about 5,000 feet on Friday.

Some parts of the state affected by wildland fires earlier this year may experience significant runoff and debris buildup, which could exacerbate flooding, according to the forecast warnings.

Coupled with the rain will be high winds. The Lake County forecast anticipates wind gusts of up to 24 miles per hour on Wednesday, with south wind gusts expected to increase to 26 miles per hour that night.

Other parts of Northern California – particularly Sacramento Valley areas – could see gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Those winds could possibly lead to tree and power utility damage, and will make driving more dangerous, forecasters said.

Also on Monday, the National Weather Service issued a video, which can be seen above, about the storm outlooks and steps Northern California residents can take to prepare.

Local officials are still in cleanup mode following last weeks storms, which dumped an average of about 3 inches of rain on Lake County, according to National Weather Service precipitation records.

Lakeport Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider said the low lake level was a benefit in the current situation, as much of the rainwater was draining into the very low lake.

By Monday night, Clear Lake – which had hit a low of -0.85 feet Rumsey in mid-November, was nearly at zero Rumsey, according to the US Geological Survey.

In the city of Clearlake, cleanup for the most recent storms is keeping crews busy, according to Public Works Director Doug Herren.

“We’ve been experiencing minor flooding throughout the city due to drain inlets being covered with leaves and debris,” Herren said.

He added, “I urge property owners to clean up their leaves around the front of their properties so they don’t plug up drainage inlets.”

In light of the impending storm, the director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Mark Ghilarducci, on Monday urged Californians on be prepared.

“This storm will present a risk of flash flooding and debris slides in areas where ground conditions have not adapted to the saturation,” he said. “This year was also a significant fire season for Northern and Southern California and burned areas are especially at risk for debris slides. Even regions that don't experience regular seasonal flooding could see flash flooding during this intense storm system, which could be the largest to date of this year's rainy season.”

Ghilarducci advised state residents to educate themselves about potential risks where they live and “to take basic steps to increase their own ability to be resilient through these storms and their impacts. The public safety community will be very busy during these storms and it's important to help reduce 911 call volumes by lowering your risks of danger as much as possible.”

Among his suggestions for increasing personal emergency preparedness before an emergency:

– Establish out-of-area emergency contacts;
– Create a simple, small emergency kit that can sustain you and possibly others for 72 hours following a disaster (for tips visit http://www.caloes.ca.gov/planningandpreparedness/Pages/Planning-and-Preparedness.aspx );
– Stay away from rising waterways, such as creeks and rivers;
– Know how to evacuate quickly, should you experience rising water levels.

Storm updates will be posted on the Lake County News Web site and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=br_rs , and on the National Weather Service Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSSacramento?ref=br_tf .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Law enforcement officials are investigating a number of recent commercial burglaries, including several along the Northshore.

Five businesses have been hit since Dec. 4, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The businesses in question include the Lucerne Subway, hit on Dec. 4; Country Carpets and Double D's Coffee in Upper Lake, where burglaries were reported early on Dec. 5; St. Vincent De Paul thrift shop in Lower Lake, which also was reported to have been broken into and vandalized on Dec. 5, although there was said to be no items taken; and a storage unit at Big Valley Storage on Dec. 6, Brooks said.

Brooks said the Subway and Upper Lake burglaries are not just close in time proximity, but all involved breaking out the windows in the front doors.

Another way they're similar: “I don't think they got much money” in any of the burglaries, Brooks said.

Brooks said the Lucerne Subway's burglary also looks similar to other window smash incidents at Subway stores in Hopland and Calistoga, leading deputies to believe all of the Subway burglaries are related.

Based on Brooks' experience in working such cases over the years, they do ramp up at this time of the year.

“There is a direct correlation to that, in my mind,” he said of the increase in burglaries during the holidays.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake put on a festive face on Saturday as it once again hosted its annual Christmas parade and tree lighting.

The parade route went from Redbud Park on Lakeshore Drive to Austin Park.

Ellie Swanson, 7, was this year's Christmas princess.

This year's theme as “Jingle Bells.”

Trophies were awarded to top finishers in parade categories, and there also was the chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

PEG TV8's video production of the parade can be seen above.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With a heavy storm expected to arrive in Lake County later this week – bringing with it chances of flooding – residents are being urged to prepare and have the necessary supplies on hand.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services has provided the following list of locations where sand, bags and/or both are available should flooding occur.

Rainbow Agricultural Services
1975 Argonaut Road, Lakeport
707-279-0550

Plastic bags: $0.49 each
NO SAND

Open:
Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
   
Pivniska Trucking Inc.
85 W. Highway 20, Upper Lake
707-275-3203

Sand only; no bags

Open:
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mendo Mill
2465 S. Main St., Lakeport
707-263-8400

Sand: 70 pound bags
Sandbags: $11.99 package of 25 or one for $0.67

Open:
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
   
Kelseyville Lumber & Supply Co.
3555 N. Main St., Kelseyville
707-279-4297

Bags: $.49 each (not filled)
Filled: $2.98

Open:
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday to Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Mendo Mill & Lumber Co.
5255 Old Highway 53, Clearlake
707-994-1014

Bags: $0.67 each / $11.99 for bundle of 25
50 pound bags of sand

Open:
Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Yard closes at 5 p.m. during winter hours

Layne Paving & Trucking
3700 Old Highway 533, Clearlake
707-994-6324

SAND ONLY

Open:
By appointment only

Lake Builders Supply Co.
3694 E. Highway 20, Nice
707-274-6607

Bags bundle of 25: $11.99
$11.49: 100-pound bags of sand

Open:
Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
   
Clearlake Lava
14572 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks
707-998-1115

SAND ONLY

Open:
Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Four Corners Builders
14975 Old Highway 53, Clearlake
707-994-6277

Sandbags: $0.89 per bag
50 pound bags of sand

Open:
Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Hardester’s Market
21088 Calistoga Road, Middletown
707-987-2325

Sandbags: $0.55 each or $12.99 for bundle of 25
60 pound paper bag: $4.32

Open:
Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.

*Prices are subject to change. The county does not pay for sand or sandbags.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – During the last several years, donors have contributed more than $800,000 to help purchase equipment and other important resources for Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

This support has helped the hospital create and sustain important patient services that transform and save lives.

“As 2014 draws to a close, I want to take a moment to thank our donors for their support of Sutter Lakeside Hospital,” said Sutter Lakeside Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “Through their generosity and support, they have helped us put patients first and deliver exceptional care to Lake County.”

The donations were primarily used to purchase medical equipment and other health care tools, including ventilators, the Mobility Park for physical therapy patients, an echocardiogram machine, women’s imaging equipment and stroke telemedicine equipment.

Most recently, more than $24,000 in donations from volunteers, community members and Sutter Lakeside's own medical staff enabled the hospital to buy two new ventilators to provide optimal care to patients with respiratory complications.

More than $110,000 from donors helped the hospital build the innovative Mobility Park.

This physical therapy treatment area features gravel, tile, stairs and other surfaces that simulate “real-life” situations.

This has improved the lives of many patients, including a 13-year-old boy with cerebral palsy.

A new Philips IE33 echocardiogram purchased this year is providing the best technology to display the heart in real time. This would not have been possible without donor contributions of more than $110,000.

“During this holiday season, I’m reminded about all the things for which I’m grateful,” Nelson said. “The kindness and giving spirit of the people of Lake County is one of them.”

To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, please visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Much of Northern California – including Lake County – is being urged to prepare for a fierce storm that forecasters say will arrive later this week.

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement on Sunday warning of a major storm that's set to arrive on Wednesday night – bringing with it heavy rain – and expected to continue through Friday.

The threat level is severe, according to Sunday reports from the National Weather Service, which said the storm is expected to be of the magnitude that hits Northern California once every several years.

The agency said the rain in the forecast ahead will be the result of an “atmospheric river” – a narrow region in the atmosphere, between 250 and 400 miles wide – responsible for most of the horizontal transport of water vapor outside of the tropics.

Atmospheric rivers, the National Weather Service reported, move with the weather, are present somewhere on the earth at any given time and “provide beneficial rain or snow that is crucial to water supply.”

They're responsible for between 30 and 50 percent of the West Coast's annual precipitation, the agency said.

The heaviest rain is forecast to occur on Thursday, with thunderstorms possible that day and on Friday, the National Weather Service said.

The early forecast expects as much as 10 inches of rain in Northern California's mountains and wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.

Early precipitation forecasts for the Lake County area predict a seven-day rain total for the period starting Monday and ending at 4 a.m. Sunday of between 5 and 7.5 inches.

While forecasters said the details of what areas can expect in the storm are expected to change over the next several days, they believe that there will be a combination of heavy rain and high winds that could lead to downed trees, power outages, stream flooding and – in high mountain areas – between 1 and 2 feet of snow.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two cats are ready for adoption from Lake County Animal Care and Control as the week begins.

The cats – one male and one female – are adults, and will be ready to go once chosen by new owners.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Domestic medium hair

This male adult domestic medium hair cat with a gray tabby coat.

He is in cat room kennel No. 66b, ID No. 1168.

Domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair mix has a coat with white and brown tabby markings.

She's in cat room kennel No. 73, ID No. 1316.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

The California Department of Water Resources has announced an initial allocation of 10 percent for the customers of the State Water Project.

Depending upon the volume of rain and snow that reaches California this winter that initial allocation may be increased.

Should dry conditions return, DWR may reallocate State Water Project supplies to meet critical human health and safety needs.

Improved precipitation forecasts this week allow DWR to set the initial allocation for 2015 at 10 percent, up from the five percent allocation SWP customers got this year. 

The level of Lake Oroville – the keystone reservoir of the SWP system and a source of water for 25 million Californians – is rising due to recent storms, after approaching its lowest level ever last month.

But the state’s major reservoirs, including Oroville, are too depleted to be filled by a typical winter storm. DWR experts estimate that it will take roughly 150 percent of average precipitation for California to recover from drought.

“Storms in the extended forecast give us hope that we will return this winter to normal or above-normal precipitation levels after three years of drought,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin. “But we must be cautious and preserve adequate storage in reservoirs should conditions turn dry again.”

The 29 public water agencies that receive SWP water – State Water Project contractors – requested 4,172,686 acre-feet of water for 2015.

Under the initial allocation, they will receive 418,520 acre-feet. For most agencies, that amounts to 10 percent of the supplies for which they contract with DWR.

It is important to note that nearly all areas served by the SWP also have other sources of water, among them streams, groundwater and local reservoirs.

Also, the State Water Project contractors will have access to any water they have left in storage from previous allocations. DWR approved requests for delivery in 2015 167,465 acre-feet of carryover water from previous years.

DWR is hopeful that the SWP allocation, made before the wettest months, will increase as storms bring rain and snow to the state. If severely dry conditions develop, the allocation may be reduced. Under extreme drought conditions, the department may reallocate supplies based on human health and safety requirements.

On average, half of California’s precipitation occurs December through February, and three quarters from November through March.

“We will still need to conserve even when we see storms develop,” said Cowin. “It will take more than a normal winter to make up for three consecutive dry years, and using less water in our homes will keep more in our critically low reservoirs.”

As the drought pushed into its third year, DWR on Jan. 31 dropped its initial water allocation (percentage of water requested) for calendar year 2014 from five percent to its first ever zero allocation for all SWP contractors.

Storms in February and March boosted the allocation back up to 5 percent, making a little more than 200,000 acre-feet available to the 29 contractors, who collectively had requested slightly more than four million acre-feet.

An acre-foot generally is described as enough water to supply a family of four for a year, or to cover one acre of land with one foot of water.

The only previous zero allocation in the 54-year history of the SWP was for agriculture in 1991, but cities and others that year received 30 percent of requested amounts.

This year’s five percent allocation was the lowest final calendar year allocation in SWP history as a sparse mountain snowpack melted early and rainfall was near record lows in most parts of the state.

The final SWP allocation for calendar year 2013 was 35 percent of requested water amounts. In 2012, the final allocation was 65 percent. It was 80 percent in 2011, up dramatically from an initial allocation of 25 percent.

The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008 and 60 percent in 2007.

The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish species – was in 2006.

California’s water year 2014 – overlapping with California’s driest calendar year of 2013 – ended on Sept. 30 as the third driest in 119 years of record, based on statewide precipitation.

As the water year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) ended, the state’s reservoirs tracked by DWR collectively held only 60 percent of average storage for the date, or 41 percent of capacity. Cumulative reservoir storage on the same date in the deep drought year of 1977 was five million acre-feet less, but California had 16 million fewer people in 1977.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the SWP’s principal reservoir, is at 26 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity (43 percent of its historical average for the date).

Shasta Lake north of Redding, California’s and the federal Central Valley Project’s (CVP) largest reservoir, is at 23 percent of its 4.5 million acre-foot capacity (39 percent of its historical average for this time of year.

San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-Delta pool for both the SWP and CVP, is at 24 percent of its 2 million acre-foot capacity (40 percent of average for the date).

In January, normally California’s wettest month, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. declared a drought state of emergency and followed up with statewide water conservation goals.

Since then, the state has been swept by drought-fueled forest fires, vast tracts of farmland have been fallowed and some communities have been left scrambling for drinking water.

Long-range weather forecasts being uncertain, there is no way to tell if this winter will alleviate or deepen the drought, leaving conservation – the wise, sparing use of water – as our most reliable drought management tool.