Gavin Newsom asks Californians to reduce water use by 15% during visit to SLO County
California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited San Luis Obispo County on July 8 to discuss the ongoing drought and proposed investments to address water resiliency.
Overlooking Lopez Lake, where dropping water levels have revealed massive stretches of dry land, Newsom and state and county officials spoke about California’s emergency response to drought conditions across the state due to climate change.
“These conditions are familiar to many Californians as a consequence,” Newsom said during the news conference. “However, conditions are such that they continue to evolve. And as a consequence, today we are doing what we had signaled was likely to happen not only after the initiation of an April proclamation of a state of emergency, but the subsequent state of urgency that we announced in May.”
In May, Newsom proposed a $5.1 billion package for water infrastructure and drought response as part of his $100 billion California Comeback Plan. The money would go to efforts around the state such as fixing leaky canals, cleaning up polluted wells and restoring natural floodplains to protect homes from high flows.
Newsom said 50 of the state’s 58 counties — including San Luis Obispo County — are now under an official state of emergency that will help local water agencies respond to drought conditions.
Governor calls on California residents to reduce water use
On July 8, Newsom also announced an order to voluntarily reduce water use across the state by about 15%.
That would not only affect residences, but also industrial commercial operations and agriculture, he said.
“We’re not trying to be oppressive,” Newsom said. “Again these are voluntary standards we have laid out. ... It’s an opportunity to always save water, help us work through these drought conditions, but voluntarily.”
That 15% voluntary reduction in water consumption will be measured monthly by the California State Water Resources Control Board, Newsom said during the July 8 news conference.
However, gathering accurate data may be difficult, he acknowledged, because many wells used to pump water for agricultural purposes don’t have meters that measure how much water is being used.
Addressing the lack of water meters on agricultural wells, Newsom said, “What this state simply does not know is jaw dropping.”
“And the fact that, over decades, we haven’t sought to get those answers is curious and questionable. Self evidently (that) has to be addressed,” the governor said. “We are beginning the process of more comprehensively addressing it.”
Much of SLO County faces severe drought conditions
Most of San Luis Obispo County is currently in a “severe drought,” while the very eastern edge of the county is in an “exceptional drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Lopez Lake, which acts as a water source for much of southern San Luis Obispo County, was at 34.7% capacity on July 8 — its lowest point since February 2017.
“Back-to-back, consecutive droughts have caused this,” San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Lynn Compton said during the July 8 news conference.
“This is an area that’s very conducive to growing crops and agriculture — it’s a very big commodity for our county,” said Compton, who represents the Fourth District. “And so the lake being low is really affecting us.”
Compton’s district includes Lopez Lake, which located near Arroyo Grande.
Newsom’s visit to San Luis Obispo County followed a stop in Fresno on July 7, where he picked up trash along Highway 41. During that Central Valley visit, he announced Clean California, a $1.1 billion effort to expand the state’s litter abatement efforts.
During his visit to Lopez Lake, Newsom said the drought across the state is an impact of climate change.
“You’ll find few people more clear in terms of their conviction that the hots are getting a lot hotter, the dries are getting a lot drier and climate change is real and it’s here,” he said.
Wade Crowfoot, California natural resources secretary, also spoke during the July 8 news conference.
“A second straight dry year has strained our water supplies, challenged our economy, and of course, also degraded the health of our rivers,” Crowfoot said. “We know that climate change is exacerbating conditions that we’re facing”
Crowfoot noted that higher-than-average temperatures across the West are also exacerbating the drought conditions.
Current reservoir levels, water restrictions in SLO County
Although San Luis Obispo County has been in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions since early June, the reservoirs in the county have not dipped as catastrophically low as others in the state.
Lake Nacimiento — a major source of drinking water for San Luis Obispo County and for irrigation in Monterey County — is at 20% capacity or about 723 feet of elevation as of Wednesday, according to the Monterey County Water Resources Agency.
That’s down from 24% capacity, or 730 feet of elevation, just two weeks ago. In comparison, Lake Nacimiento was at 756.6 feet in elevation in June 2020.
Lopez Lake provides drinking water to the Five Cities community of Arroyo Grande, Avila Beach, Grover Beach, Oceano and Pismo Beach.
That lake saw a decrease in capacity of less than 1% from two weeks ago, but down about 15% compared to early July 2020.
And Santa Margarita Lake, which serves as the main drinking water source for the city of San Luis Obispo, is at 64% capacity — down from 65.3% capacity two weeks ago and from 84% capacity this time the previous year.
Cities such as Pismo Beach, Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande have water use restrictions in place. Those cities prohibit any excessive water waste, prohibit outdoor irrigation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are asking residents to conserve water wherever possible.
Paso Robles is also restricting some water use and asking residents to limit outdoor water to only what is required and avoid watering between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The Cambria Community Services District’s board of directors will discuss and set a new water stage conservation level at its July 15 meeting, according to John Weigold, district general manager.
There are also statewide water restrictions such as no watering of outdoor landscapes that cause runoff, no using hoses without shut-off nozzels and no using water in a fountain or decorative water feature unless the water is recirculated.
More cities in San Luis Obispo County may also impose water-use restrictions as drought conditions persist in San Luis Obispo County.
Communities that receive water from the state via the State Water Project — such as Morro Bay, Avila Beach and Oceano — may see restrictions as well.
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Gavin Newsom asks Californians to reduce water use by 15% during visit to SLO County."
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