Is Schwarzenegger's Big Drought Over?

For the past two years, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has constantly promoted the agribusiness claim that California is in a "catastrophic drought." In reality, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were below-normal water years, but nothing like the drought years of 1975-77 or 1989-92.

"California's 'drought' is overblown. The alarmists calling it a historic disaster are trying to pull a fast one," columnist MIchael Fitzgerald wrote in an article in the Stockton Record.

Schwarzenegger has relentlessly pushed a "gloom and doom" drought scenario at press conferences and photo opportunities to campaign for the construction of the peripheral canal and more dams, even though the canal and the proposed Temperance Flat and Sites reservoirs won't create any "new water" in a state where water has already been dramatically over-committed. When the Governor declared droughts in both 2008 and 2009, he proposed as the "solution" to the scarcity of water the building of "improved conveyance and updated infrastructure " -- the peripheral canal around the Delta and more dams.

"This drought is an urgent reminder of the immediate need to upgrade California's water infrastructure," Schwarzenegger stated in June 2008 when he declared a drought emergency. "There is no more time to waste because nothing is more vital to protect our economy, our environment and our quality-of-life. We must work together to ensure that California will have safe, reliable and clean water not only today but 20, 30 and 40 years from now."

Again on February 22, 2009, Schwarzenegger, pushed for the "upgrading" of California's water infrastructure when he declared a drought emergency. "This drought is having a devastating impact on our people, our communities, our economy and our environment -- making today's action absolutely necessary," he claimed. "This is a crisis, just as severe as an earthquake or raging wildfire, and we must treat it with the same urgency by upgrading California's water infrastructure to ensure a clean and reliable water supply for our growing state."

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) first snow survey of the 2009/2010 winter season, conducted on December 30, indicated that snow water content is 85 percent of normal for the date statewide. However, this situation is expected to change with the El Niño storms hitting California this week. In a week, California may go from too little water to too much water, depending on the severity of the storms that hit the state.

There is plenty of storage for flood control now in the state's reservoirs. California's major reservoirs including Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs remain very low, mainly because the state and federal water projects drained the reservoirs to fill the Kern County Water Bank and southern California reservoirs over the past two years. Lake Oroville, the principal storage reservoir for the State Water Project (SWP), is at 29 percent of capacity and 47 percent of average storage for this time of year.

Now Schwarzenegger, after having pushed the drought fears ad naseum over the past two years to promote the canal and new dams, has switched over to the role of the "action hero" making preparations for possible flooding, particularly in areas hit by wildfires over the past few years.

"In response to a series of powerful winter storms moving through California this week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today directed his departments and agencies to take action to prepare and respond to the needs of affected Californians," according to a statement form the Governor's Office. "The storms are expected to bring high winds and heavy rain in some areas."