Riverside County On Track For Bone-Dry Year

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Despite pretty green hillsides right now, last month was the third driest February on record in Riverside County, dating back 127 years, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.

Statewide, similar statistics are prompting concerns.

“Although late January storms improved a then-dismal snowpack, statewide snowpack remains at about two-thirds of average for this time of year ... and natural flow in key Sierra Nevada watersheds is still tracking at amounts seen in the severe drought years of 2014 and 2015,” according to a late-February statement from the California Department of Water Resources. “Storage in the largest northern California reservoirs is also well below average, reflecting cumulative impacts from a dry 2020. Virtually all the state remains in a precipitation deficit, with much of the state having received about half or less of average precipitation to date.”

So far, there hasn’t been a March rainfall-miracle. Rainfall totals reported by Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District show 5.14 inches for the region beginning July 1, 2020 through March 18, 2021 — below the annual average of 11 inches.

Some of the county’s agricultural areas are faring a bit worse. Indio has received just .34 inches of rainfall for the season. With no storms in the forecast, the area is unlikely to hit its annual precipitation average of 3 inches.

Temecula, famous for its nearby Wine Country, normally receives about 16 inches of annual rainfall. For the season, it’s at 6.36 inches, the district reports.

The National Integrated Drought Information System finds that as of March 18, 99.7 percent of people in Riverside County are affected by drought, with nearly all of the eastern half of the county in severe or extreme drought.

In addition to agricultural challenges, lack of rain means fire season is longer with bigger blazes that have high burn intensity and dry fuels. The near-term cost to residents is higher food prices and a need for more fire crews paid for by taxpayers.

While local water agencies are not yet sounding drought alarms, there is a familiar chorus.

“Water,” according to Temecula’s Rancho Water, “is a finite resource and needs to be used efficiently in order to ensure a continued reliable supply.”