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[XiaNaphryz]

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Gov-Brown-declares-California-drought-to-be-11058201.php

While months of rain have filled reservoirs and turned mountainsides a brilliant green, only Friday did Gov. Jerry Brown declare an official end to the California drought.

The move, which is mostly ceremonial yet a welcome reminder of how dramatically weather conditions have changed, does away with an emergency declaration that three years ago ushered in a period of unprecedented water rationing across the state.

Most of California’s strict conservation rules have already been lifted since the worst days of the drought, and fewer people still shorten their showers or refrain from flushing. The governor’s repeal of the emergency order Friday morning ensures many remaining regulations will be dropped.

Still, Brown warned in a public statement that just because the weather is wetter doesn’t mean water should be wasted.

“This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner,” he said. “Conservation must remain a way of life.”

To that end, Brown did not rescind a handful of prohibitions on wasting water, including no hosing down sidewalks or driveways, no watering lawns within 48 hours of rain and no serving water at restaurants without a customer request.

The governor will also continue to require urban water agencies, from big cities to small towns, to report their water use, a drought-era practice that state officials said would encourage conservation.

 

[Basileus777]

no serving water at restaurants without a customer request.

Really? The pittance of water this saves makes this a pretty frivolous regulation.

 

[zoku88]

Really? The pittance of water this saves makes this a pretty frivolous regulation.

IIRC, it wasn't really to save water but to keep the drought conditions in everyone's minds.

To be honest, I forgot about that rule since they always ask what you want for drinks anyway.

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks Trump!

 

[Xe4]

Great! Now actually put some restrictions on agriculture and maybe you won't nearly run out of water again.

But what do I know...

 

[yanipheonu]

Thus solving the problem once and for all.
But...
ONCE AND FOR ALL!

 

[Oblivion]

He shouldn't have said this.

Now people will think it'll be okay to leave the faucet on while they brush their teeth.

 

[Captain Zyrain]

YAAAS RAIN

 

[Malreyn]

did they have any restrictions on use of water on golf course during the drought?

 

[Crimson_Gold]

He shouldn't have said this.

Now people will think it'll be okay to leave the faucet on while they brush their teeth.

I hate when people do that. It makes no damn sense. Just wasteful

 

[Prince of Space]

Showers for days!

 

[Xe4]

He shouldn't have said this.

Now people will think it'll be okay to leave the faucet on while they brush their teeth.

lol.
Anyways any residential restrictions don't do much anyhow. They're important, don't get me wrong, but the agriculture in California is what uses the vast majority of the water. Far more than any residential or industrial uses.

 

[GeoNeo]

Waiting for a tweet from trump...

Trump: "See global warming is a Chinese myth it's raining cats & dogs in Cali."

 

[Toa TAK]

Time to celebrate with HOUR LONG SHOWERS

 

[Auron_Kale]

Still going to conserve water as usual. No point in not doing so really.

 

[Tagyhag]

That's nice, looking forward to being in drought again next year.

 

[titiklabingapat]

Now tackle the wasteful water use by agriculture and we good.

 

[CountAntonius]

It's worth suffering through all these damn bugs the rains brought I guess. I feel like I'm in a damn rain forest.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Really great news. When I was out there last it was so dry everywhere.

 

[LiK]

Welcome back. Now you'll just need to deal with the return of the smog in a few years.

 

[Kevinroc]

Are they hoping California will have as much rain, or more, next year?

 

[Septimus Prime]

Don't worry, it rains like that every year. Oh, wait.

 

[Laekon]

Such a stupid thing to do. Yes the flowers have been great and they are still in bloom but the hill sides near where I live are starting to turn yellow already. The trails I ride and hike on are back to dust over concrete hard dirt like the middle of summer. A few months of rain doesn't change years of drought. If the rest of the year is as hot and dry as last year all we have to look forward to is a higher chance of wild fires.

 

[5taquitos]

brb, turning my sprinklers back on

 

[Tekniqs]

so I can wash my car now?

 

[demosthenes]

He shouldn't have said this.

Now people will think it'll be okay to leave the faucet on while they brush their teeth.

Why do people do this. What in the hell.

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Pretty sure Lake Mead, where they get a ton of their water, is still very low?

 

[Wilsongt]

Such a stupid thing to do. Yes the flowers have been great and they are still in bloom but the hill sides near where I live are starting to turn yellow already. The trails I ride and hike on are back to dust over concrete hard dirt like the middle of summer. A few months of rain doesn't change years of drought. If the rest of the year is as hot and dry as last year all we have to look forward to is a higher chance of wild fires.

I think a lot of the drought lifting has to do with the water shed and underground aquafors being refilled more so than just surface level conditions.

 

[Crimson_Gold]

so I can wash my car now?

brb, turning my sprinklers back on

This is why we can't have nice things

 

[Chumley]

Knowing our luck, we're now going to have another 2 years of no rain at all.

Beginning of this year felt like a dream, now that dream is over.

 

[Aikidoka]

I remember listening to a Science Friday episode where the guest/expert said this wet year is expected to happen amidst a drought. IIRC, he was pretty confident that the conditions wouldn't be enough to end the drought.

 

[Magnet_Man]

Time to celebrate!

 

[ReAxion]

just regular old normal drought now, non-emergency.

 

[JJMorris]

Why. We will only have more droughts going forward with climate change. Still technically in one.

 

[Lexxism]

Nice. Time to leave the faucet running while I brush my teeth.

 

[Tekniqs]

This is why we can't have nice things

my man..i don't even have a front lawn...converted the grass into rocks when the water conservation went into effect lol. the water i've conserved far outweighs what I would use to wash my car haha

 

[mashoutposse]

A few months of rain doesn't change years of drought.

It can if it's a few months of heavy rainfall. Think about the time it takes to evaporate a pan of water vs. filling it up from a slow running faucet.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/MapsAndData/DataTables.aspx?state,CA

Most of the state is legitimately out of the drought.

 

[see5harp]

It's raining yet again.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

They really should just outright ban grass lawns.

 

[Frankfurter]

I hope California uses this to significantly reduce its water consumption. Otherwise in a year or two, we'll be back to draught conditions and everyone will be like "How did that happen!?"

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

He shouldn't have said this.

Now people will think it'll be okay to leave the faucet on while they brush their teeth.

I do this but only because I don't even pay attention to it. Once I do, I turn it off.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Good.

Now...continue to adapt practices that allow you to save water to accumulate water over time.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Really? The pittance of water this saves makes this a pretty frivolous regulation.

I never saw anyone following that regulation anyway. Always a full glass of water topped up regularly at any half decent restaurant whether I want it or not.

 

[bjork]

Wait, you can't hose your walks? I had no idea, but I only do it maybe twice a year and sweep the rest of the time.