The drought is different this time. Everyone in the Sacramento region must conserve water

California is in the grip of another extreme drought. The consequences can be seen all over the Sacramento region and, unfortunately, the worst is yet to come.

We expect to see water levels in the American River this fall that may reach historic lows. This will be difficult not only for people who enjoy recreating in our scenic river corridor, but also for the salmon, steelhead and other native species that need water to survive and reproduce.

That’s why we’re urging everyone in the Sacramento region to start conserving water in earnest.

Earlier this year, local water providers urged residents to set a 10% water conservation goal. In line with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement, we’re now calling for 15% conservation, and some, like the Fair Oaks Water District, are asking for more. This is a voluntary goal, but one we hope you’ll take seriously.

Water conservation is nothing new for the capital region. During the most recent drought of 2014-16, residents slashed water use by 25% on an annual basis — one of the deepest cuts achieved anywhere in the state. Most importantly, we achieved a large share of this reduction in the hot summer months, a difficult time to conserve.

It’s only five years later, and we’re asking you to do it again. This time, the cause is somewhat unexpected. Yes, we’ve had two dry winters in a row. But this year, with worsening climate change, we have even less water than many experts anticipated.

The American River watershed, which serves the Sacramento region, had a snowpack that measured approximately 90% of average at the end of winter. But it produced only 30% of average runoff. Why? The unseasonable onset of warm temperatures in the mountains and the lack of spring precipitation caused much of the snowpack to evaporate or melt into the ground rather than flowing toward the river.

This was a shocking development that plunged the region rapidly into drought. Runoff forecasts made earlier in the year proved to be overly optimistic, and the snowmelt needed to refill our reservoirs just didn’t materialize.

The effects are numerous, but one is that Folsom Reservoir doesn’t have enough stored water to keep American River temperatures cool through the fall months. This means the river will likely become too warm for temperature-sensitive salmon and steelhead fish.

Vigilance is required to reduce water consumption and water waste. Water your lawn less and early in the day to minimize evaporation; don’t let sprinklers run off onto sidewalks; fix household leaks; take shorter showers and wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

You should also, however, be sure to efficiently water your trees. Many trees were lost in the last drought, an unintended casualty from reduced lawn watering. Let’s give them special care this time.

Invest in long-term water efficiency measures, like removing or reducing your lawn by half in favor of water-sipping native plants, or adding high-efficiency appliances, WaterSense-labeled smart sprinkler timers, high-efficiency sprinklers and drip irrigation. Many local water agencies offer rebates and other incentives to help residents pay for these improvements — some have recently even doubled rebate amounts.

Water providers are doing their part to preserve water in our lakes and rivers by sustainably shifting to using more groundwater.

Saving water today could leave some carry-over storage in Folsom Reservoir for next year. We don’t want to drain that bank account in case next winter is dry, too.

Climate conditions this year dealt us a bad hand. We must accept that we no longer live in the world we once knew. We must adapt. That’s why we urge you to conserve water today.

This story was originally published July 31, 2021 at 6:00 AM.