ANDRAIN FIRE

AMODERATELYWETYEAREASED, BUT DIDN’TEND,CALIFORNIA’SDROUGHT. WHATDOES2017HOLDFOR OURSTILL-PARCHEDSTATE?

As2016wounddown, Californiaenteredits sixth yearofdrought.

Butevery partof thestate wasn’tcreatedequal. Northern Californiaexperienced significant drought reliefduring theyear, while Southern California continued tobemiredinhistorically aridconditions.

Thereason?Amuch-anticipated ElNiñobrought substantial storms during thespring to the north, giving Bay Areacities and communities across Northern California their bestrainfall totals in five years.San Franciscorainfall was 98 percent ofthe historicaverage.SanJosewas ahealthy100 percent,and Oakland 80 percent.

Butthe storms largelymissed theparchedsouth.

Thespringrainssent reservoirs rising,creeks rushing and hopes growing thatthe relentless droughtmightbe windingdown. Theyalsoboostedtheski season, growing theSierraNevada snowpack to nearlynormallevels by April.

Inacontroversial move,Gov. JerryBrowndropped statewide mandatory water restrictions in May.Respondingtocomplaints from water agencies thatthey had lostmillions from reduced water sales, thegovernor allowed cities toease theirwaterrationing plans.Although Californians are still using less water now than before thedrought (those low-flush toilets androck gardens don’t uninstall themselves), conservation laggedduringthe summer and greenlawns sprouted again. Brownand other stateleaders werewatchingthe weather carefully, andplan todecide by January whetherto restorethe mandatory rules, dependingon howmuch rainfallsduringthe first partof winter.

Right: ElNiño rains helped ranchers suchas John Ginochio, who tends to aherd of his black anguscattle on Mount Diabloin Walnut Creek in April.

Wetwood doesn’tburn, so themoderatelygood rain year was enough to limitcatastrophic fires in2016. California’s fire year came in atabout average.But therewerestillseveralvery large fires,includingthe Soberanes fire, whichblackened 132,000acres of rugged backcountryin BigSur; the 41,000-acre Sand fire inthe Angeles National Forest; andthe Loma fire, which burned4,474acres in theSanta Cruz Mountains westof Morgan Hill, destroying 12homes.

Willthe drought endin 2017?

If the winter rains are decent, the north will be in prettygoodshape. Butitwill takeseveralwet years for the south to recover, andsignificantlyoverdrawngroundwater basins in theCentralValleywill take decades tocome back.

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