Thursday September 5, 2024
CBS News —
After two wet winters, 19 counties encompassing most of California’s population have officially emerged from the drought emergency that has afflicted the state for the past three years.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the executive order rolling back the restrictions.
“As this week’s weather makes clear, California and the West experience extreme weather swings that exacerbate our water challenges and make it more important than ever that we build a climate-resilient water system,” Newsom said.
The termination of emergency protocols applies to the nearly 20 counties along the state’s coast and desert regions that 70% of residents call home. The guidelines still apply to the 39 counties surrounding areas where the drought remains a persistent problem, depleting groundwater supplies, causing domestic wells to fail, and harming native fish. This includes regions such as the Tulare Lake Basin, Sacramento, and San Joaquin River Basins, as well as several watersheds in Northern California.