A Wake Up Call

California's worst drought since the early 1990s will potentially dry up Butte County water wells and force residents and area farmers into modes of water conservation.

Chico is poised to face consequences from the drought because of its water-use habits, said Paul Gosselin, director of Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation.

"We have one of the highest per capita water uses in the entire state," Gosselin said. "If nothing else, this is a pretty big wake-up call."

The department has been watching the water levels over the past few years, he said. The drought's effects on Chico might become apparent soon, recreationally and economically.

Michael Spiess, professor of agriculture, thinks the Chico area, along with the rest of the state, might suffer from less water coming from Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake.

According to the state's department of water resources, Sept. 30 marked Lake Oroville's lowest carryover storage since 1977. It is predicted that its water levels will drop below the record lows set in 1977.

In 2008, Lake Oroville was only at 36 percent of its reservoir storage capacity, according to a prediction by the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. As of this January, the level has dropped to about 28 percent.

"The biggest issue we'll have with this long-term drought is that the water levels will drop in the ground," Spiess said. "It will cost more to pump, or eventually it could get below the level where the pumps are."

Cindy Daley, professor of agriculture, thinks the public will understand the sacrifices made agriculturally when Lake Oroville's water level is low.

"Oroville gets a lot of income from tourists," she said. "People go there during the summertime to boat and ski, and all those water sports will be down."

Irrigation districts are having their ability to use water restricted, Daley said. The drought might force farmers to focus on growing trees and orchards as opposed to crops that grow annually.

Gosselin's status report to the Butte County Board of Supervisors recommends that the university work alongside the county to promote adoption of water conservation measures.

Spiess thinks Chico's reliance on pumping water from wells might keep farms safe from the drought. But that doesn't protect the city in the long term.

The rice grounds near Highway 99 receive surface water for growth and will thus be affected by the drought faster, Spiess said. The lack of runoff from snow will take away surface water supplies faster than water wells.

Senior Jacy Merritt has been practicing water conservation at her home and is worried about the drought affecting campus.

"Normally every year the creek is rushing past right by the bridges," she said. "And it hasn't even gotten close this year."