San Diego County has enough water to meet the region’s needs for 2024 and the foreseeable future thanks to wet winters and local conservation, the San Diego County Water Authority announced April 2.
As of early March, the county had already exceeded its annual rainfall average since the water year began Oct. 1, according to the National Weather Service.
The announcement followed the California Department of Water Resources’ fourth snowpack survey in the Sierra Nevada of the year, which confirmed that the early winter’s “snow drought” has transitioned to a slightly above-normal snowpack, thanks to a series of storms.
Additionally, the Colorado River Basin, the primary water source for San Diego County, is reporting above-average snow levels for this time of year, the department said.
According to the City of San Diego, 85 percent to 90 percent of its water comes from Northern California and the Colorado River.
Currently, almost all of California’s major reservoirs are above historical averages, with many nearing full capacities. Specifically, the state’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, are at 93 percent and 88 percent, respectively, of capacity.
Officials also commended the county’s decades-long efforts to enhance its drought resistance.
Despite a statewide drought from 2020 to 2022 that necessitated water-use reductions for millions of California residents, the county has largely been insulated from such, due, in part, to the region’s efforts to reduce water demand per capita by over 50 percent since 1990, according to the water authority.
The county is also exploring ways to better utilize surplus water to generate additional income, the water agency said.
In late 2023, a deal that sold some of its surplus water supply to areas with greater needs provided the San Diego region approximately $20 million.
“We are in a new era in water management for San Diego County, an era marked by collaboration, creativity and efficiency,” Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham said in the announcement. “The Water Authority is leading the way with strategic alliances that create multiple benefits for San Diego County and the larger region.”
Established in 1944, the agency serves 3.3 million residents, including cities, special districts, and a military base.
