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California Drought

California is experiencing the worst drought in its history, and the effects are being felt nationwide. Thus water issues have taken center stage in much of our reporting and the nation's.As the New York Times says, "Water has long been a precious resource in California, the subject of battles pitting farmer against city-dweller and northern communities against southern ones; books and movies have been made about its scarcity and plunder. Water is central to the state’s identity and economy, and a symbol of how wealth and ingenuity have tamed nature ..."As we continue through a fourth year of extreme drought conditions, you'll find all of our reporting on the related issues (and that of NPR and other member stations) in this centralized place.

Manual Snow Survey Finds Sierra Nevada Water Content Far Above Average

North State Public Radio | By Amy Quinton

Published December 30, 2015 at 4:35 PM PST

All the snow in the Sierra Nevada is good news, but it’s too soon to say whether it will put a dent in the drought.

The first manual snow survey found more than 16 inches of water in the snow at Philips Station. That’s more than 136 percent of the historical average.

Surveyors have been measuring water content in the snow at that spot for more than 50 years. Frank Gehrke is with the California Department of Water Resources.

"We’re encouraged," he said. "But we’ve got four to five months where before the final tale is told in terms of whether or not we make significant progress from recovering from the drought."

Electronic readings from around the Sierra Nevada show 10 inches of water in the snow, still above average. Snowpack supplies about 30 percent of California’s water needs as it melts and replenishes reservoirs.

This story was produced by Capital Public Radio