Drought-stricken California running out of options to maintain water supply

Drought-stricken California is running out of options to maintain a water supply. The drought’s effects are not only rippling across the state, but the rest of the country as well. California provides nearly half of America’s nuts, fruits and vegetables, but the drought has forced farmers to leave fields unplanted. And as the state’s rainy season comes to an end, officials are assessing the dire situation.

Not only has the rainfall been low, but many parts of the state have experienced record heat. This combination has forced the state to tap into emergency reservoirs.
It has also left the snowpack in northern California at an extremely low level.

State water regulators are responding to the drought by passing another round of mandatory restrictions. The restrictions put limits on how businesses and residences can use water. If the restrictions are violated, people could be fined several hundred dollars.

A study from University of California at Davis says the drought has already cost California more than 2 billion dollars in lost revenue.

Weather officials say even if all Californians followed the conservation efforts, the state will still need a significant amount of rainfall before this drought will come to an end.