California drought: Gov. Jerry Brown urges 20% cuts Governor urges 20% cuts in usage, pledges to steer water where needed

With the edge of Folsom Lake, Calif., more than 100 yards away, Gina, 8, left, and Sydney, 9, Gerety walk on rocks that are usually at the waters edge, Thursday Jan. 9, 2014. Gov. Jerry Brown officially declared a drought emergency in California, as the state faces a serious water shortage. Reservoirs in the state have dipped to historic lows after one of the driest calendar years on record. less With the edge of Folsom Lake, Calif., more than 100 yards away, Gina, 8, left, and Sydney, 9, Gerety walk on rocks that are usually at the waters edge, Thursday Jan. 9, 2014. Gov. Jerry Brown officially ... more Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close California drought: Gov. Jerry Brown urges 20% cuts 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

Gov. Jerry Brown's drought declaration on Friday won't bring rain to a state parched by three dry years. But communities, farmers and firefighters wrestling with the lack of rainfall are welcoming the order as a chance to better capitalize on the state's limited water supplies.

Brown committed to using his executive powers to steer water where it's most needed, direct state agencies to immediately scale back water consumption and seek the help of the federal government in combatting what he called "the worst drought that California has ever seen since records (began) about 100 years ago."

Perhaps more importantly, the governor called on Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20 percent, a plea that water experts say has proved effective in past periods of dry weather. He noted that mandatory restrictions could be coming soon.

"This is a critical step for the state amid this crisis," said Timothy Quinn, executive director for the Association of California Water Agencies, which represents dozens of water districts statewide. "One of the most important things that you have to have happen is that people need to use less water, and there's nothing more powerful than a governor declaring an emergency."

The declaration, announced at a news conference at the governor's San Francisco office, comes as the state is gripped by its third straight year of below-average rainfall with little improvement expected.

Emergency steps in place

Rivers are running low. The snowpack is meager. And communities across California are worried about having sufficient water for homes, businesses and farmland. The dry weather also has increased the wildfire threat, with record acreage burning this month, including a 1,700-acre blaze that continues to char the hills above Los Angeles.

With the emergency declaration, Brown set in place 20 steps to deal with the drought. Water agencies will be able to share water more easily. State water managers will kick off a statewide conservation campaign. And additional firefighters will be hired to protect California's parched landscape.

The governor also said he will petition the federal government for assistance, which could take the form of monetary aid or helping with water transfers.

"We are in an unprecedented and very serious situation," Brown said, as he stood beside charts highlighting the deteriorating water situation. "It's important to awaken all Californians to the serious matter of drought and the lack of rain."

Friday's declaration is the third statewide drought declaration since 1987, the previous coming during the 2007-09 drought.

Lawmakers were generally pleased by the proclamation.

"This is a huge step forward in making sure we are using our water resources appropriately," said state Assemblyman Henry Perea, D-Fresno, whose district includes parts of the Central Valley, where farmers have borne the brunt of the dry weather and pushed for the declaration.

Many in Sacramento said the drought should be a call to action for Californians about the need for a water bond. Lawmakers, citing low voter-approval numbers, have twice pulled an $11 billion water bond from the ballot that seeks a range of new projects, including partial funding for a major water-delivery upgrade in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Ballot measure discussed

Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, said it would be "irresponsible" to put the current water bond on the November ballot because it doesn't have the backing. But Perez said a more affordable bond should be negotiated.

The governor, when asked Friday about a water bond, said the state needed to improve its water infrastructure but stopped short of committing to a ballot measure.

This month, most of California has seen little or no rainfall. The dry spell follows a record-dry 2013 in much of the state, and climate models suggest rain will remain scant through April, setting up California for its third straight dry winter.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Nevada snowpack, vital to filling the state's sprawling system of reservoirs, measured just 17 percent of normal this week.

A few water agencies have imposed restrictions on consumers, while others - including some in the Bay Area - are asking for voluntary water reductions. Sacramento is the biggest community to enact requirements so far, ordering consumers Tuesday to scale back water use by 20 to 30 percent.

Few areas are threatened as much as the Central Valley, where farmers dependent on state and federal water allocations face among their lowest allotments in years.

"We're looking at just a huge amount of land going unplanted," said Gayle Holman, spokeswoman for the Westlands Water District, one of the nation's largest agricultural districts. "And I don't think we've seen the full effect of it yet."

Holman praised the governor's decision to declare a drought as an opportunity to streamline water transfers. She said she hopes it will lead to the easing of certain environmental rules, particularly limits that have been put on water diversion to protect salmon and delta smelt.

Federal support

Federal officials offered some support to the agricultural industry Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated as natural disaster areas 27 of California's 58 counties - along with portions of 10 other states - because of the drought, which means farmers can get emergency, low-interest loans.

Projections released Friday from the National Weather Service offer some hope of rain at the end of January, but forecasters note that it might not be enough to make up for lost ground.