California Droughts
David Shim ’26
Natalie Poole ’25
California is considered as one of the most beautiful states due to its populous cities, historical monuments, and most importantly, its breathtaking nature. However, the state is also known to experience frequent onslaughts of droughts, which are extended periods of remarkably low rainfall. In fact, California experiences the worst and most droughts out of all states due to its continual dry conditions and unpredictable weather charts. While Texas, which is the second state with the most droughts, only experiences them in 56% of their counties, California does in 93% of all counties (Texas, n.d.; California. n.d.).
With the increasing impacts of climate change, recent droughts have aggravated, with the most notable one lasting from 2011 to 2017 (Stevens, n.d.). This drought resulted in crop losses, wildfire risks, and water shortages, with around 100 million trees devastatingly killed. Additionally, around 28 cubed kilometers of water were estimated to be lost, and ecosystems all across California were severely damaged. However, this incident also inspired new ideas and gave people hope. For example, strong implementations and measures were added by California’s governor to prepare for future droughts, and confidence was reestablished in many different cities. Activists began to rise, and society as a whole began to work to conserve water.
Three years later, California had another drought. When the 2020 drought started, almost 95% of the state was affected by moderate droughts (26-50% less rain), and 33.75% by extreme ones (50% or more less rain) (Sheffield, n.d.; Unacademy, 2022). This trend continued into the following year, and 100% of the state experienced both extreme and regular droughts with the worst droughts in the past five years (Bland, 2023). Although this statistic was a slight improvement from 2011’s drought period, it was still a major concern. Once again, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency and invested in short-term solutions such as building dams and long-term solutions such as promoting efficient water use and recycling. Citizens also promoted and initiated water recycling and conservation, and positive trends began to rise.
As for the current state of California, drought conditions have improved drastically, and there is increased drought awareness among individuals. Not only has rain started to fall more frequently, but reservoirs are also slowly filling back up, such as Lake Oroville, one of California’s most beleaguered reservoirs. However, it is still important to raise precautions and awareness, as droughts can easily become more common again. It is essential that governments, businesses, and individuals take action to conserve water and reduce water usage to ensure a sustainable future for California and the planet.
References
Alastair Bland | March 10, 2023, Alastair Bland | January 26, 2023, Alastair Bland | March 24, 2023,
Rachel Becker | May 23, 2022, Rachel Becker | June 23, 2021, Rachel Becker | August 18, 2021, & Alastair Bland | February 7,
2023. (2023, April 23). Tracking California's water supplies. CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/california-drought-monitor/.
California, S. of. (n.d.). A dry wrap-up to the wet season. Department of Water Resources.
https://water.ca.gov/News/Blog/2021/April/A-Dry-Wrap-Up-to-the-Wet-Season
California. Drought.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://www.drought.gov/states/california
Post-drought groundwater storage recovery in California's Central Valley. PreventionWeb. (n.d.).
Ramirez, R., & Lanzoni, W. (2023, February 20). Before and after: New Photos Show Remarkable Recovery at California's most
Beleaguered Reservoir. [Photograph]. CNN.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/19/us/lake-oroville-before-and-after-storms-climate/index.html
Sheffield, A. Drought status update and 2020 recap for California-nevada: January 5, 2021. Drought.gov. (n.d.).
Stevens, A. California is no stranger to dry conditions, but the drought from 2011-2017 was
exceptional. Drought.gov. (n.d.).
https://www.drought.gov/california-no-stranger-dry-conditions-drought-2011-2017-was-exceptional.
Texas. Drought.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://www.drought.gov/states/texas
Unacademy. Drought and its classification. (2022, September 19).
https://unacademy.com/content/gate/study-material/civil-engineering/drought-and-itsclassification
Wong, K. (2016, December 13). Drought strikes centuries-old California Oaks. University of
California. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/drought-strikes-centuries-old-california oaks#
