Metropolitan Water District General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh issues the following statement on the California Department of Water Resources’ fourth snow survey of the season:

“Today’s dismal snowpack in the Northern Sierra reflects the weather variability we have seen this winter in California – with early season snow all but erased by last month’s record high temperatures – and illustrates how our investments in storage, conservation and diverse water supplies remain critical to our water reliability. Thanks to Metropolitan’s past investments in these resources, as well as our strategic planning that allows us to avoid relying on year-to-year hydrology, we are prepared to deliver reliable water supplies to Southern California this year, even without the reservoir of water that snowpack provides.

“At the same time, snowpack has also reached record low levels in Southern California’s other source of imported water, the Colorado River Basin, and Metropolitan must be prepared for potential near-term reductions in that water supply. We must also be ready if dry conditions return next year to either the Sierra Nevada or the Colorado River Basin, which together provide half of all the water used in Southern California. As Metropolitan strategically manages our available supplies, efficient water use among businesses and residents will help our region prepare.

“While we will meet the immediate challenges ahead, today’s snowpack levels serve as a warning signal that we must continue investing in our future water security, particularly as climate change causes more extreme weather. Our board is considering how best to make these investments and ensure our region has the water it needs in the long-term through our Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water.”

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