Publication Date November 19, 2015 | Capital Public Radio

California Drought: Recent Storms Help Sierra Snowpack Not Water Supply

United States
The boat ramp at Folsom Lake on November 12, 2015. The lake set a new record low of 140,523 acre-feet in November 2015. The previous record was 140,600 acre-feet in November 1977. Photo: Bob Moffitt, Capital Public Radio
The boat ramp at Folsom Lake on November 12, 2015. The lake set a new record low of 140,523 acre-feet in November 2015. The previous record was 140,600 acre-feet in November 1977. Photo: Bob Moffitt, Capital Public Radio

The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor update says the storms that have brought snow to the Sierra Nevada had no effect on California’s long-term water supply deficit. The report also shows that moderate and severe drought was reduced slightly in northeast Nevada, but there were no changes in the drought intensity for the rest of Nevada or California...As noted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, California statewide reservoir statistics (from the California Department of Water Resources/CDEC), updated through the end of October, show that this year’s preliminary reservoir withdrawal stands at 6.92 million acre-feet," the update reports. "This is just 84% of the historical average