The wet half of the year in the Bay Area included a drenching fall atmospheric river, a lengthy dry spell during what’s normally the peak of the rainy season and a string of soaking storms as winter gave way to spring.
So, with summer approaching and no sign of significant rain in the forecast, how are the reservoirs Richmond depends on holding up?
“Our water supply is in solid shape,” said East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) spokesperson Tracie Morales.
The past six months have been slightly drier than average across the East Bay and the Mokelumne River watershed in the Sierra Nevada where most of our water comes from, data from the district shows. But we’re nowhere near the drought levels that would trigger conservation requirements and surcharges, Morales said, as wet winters in 2023 and 2024 continue to bolster reservoir levels.
Pardee Reservoir, the largest source of drinking water in the EBMUD system that serves 1.4 million people in Contra Costa and Alamedia counties, was 91% full as of last week. That’s about equal to its historic average for this time of year, Morales said. The reservoir system as a whole was at 84% of its capacity, also about average.
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Richmond received 22.2 inches of rain this season, about an inch below average.
“That’s definitely a good place to be — that said, we always ask all of our customers to use water wisely,” Morales said.
Northern California is not currently in a drought
California’s wet season has long whipsawed between extremes of drought and flood, but the changing climate is expected to worsen water shortages as winters trend drier overall and drought years become more severe.
The utility district’s stations across the East Bay recorded 17 inches of rain on average so far this water year, which is about 70% of their historic average. According to Contra Costa Water’s rain gauges, Richmond received 22.2 inches of rain this season, about an inch below average.
The Mokelumne River watershed saw 84% of its average rainfall, while the snow pack yet to melt at higher elevations has a water content that the district estimates is 86% of average.
Maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor show that while much of Southern California remains in a drought that ranges from moderate to extreme, no drought conditions are present in Northern California. The statewide snow pack stands at 97% of its historic average.
Morales said rainy and snowy storms that swept through in February and March “helped us out a lot” after Northern California went through an unusually dry January.
Although the region isn’t facing water shortages this year, EBMUD recommends property owners check their irrigation system for leaks now — before they start using it more during the summer — and consider steps such as replacing their lawns with drought-tolerant plants so they are ready for drier years in the future.
