FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — California enters its new water year Wednesday.
The state says it’s preparing for weather extremes as it copes with federal cuts to programs.
The Department of Water Resources provided outlooks for the next twelve months.
The DWR says the California-Nevada River Forecast Center has been a key partner, but federal staff losses there have led to gaps.
The department is waiting to see if funding cuts will also impact the snow survey operations.
Officials say staff has been reduced by about 30 percent in the Bureau of Reclamation offices in California.
“That means less information and potentially less process around how we share and log, if you will, the way the projects operate jointly to meet regulatory requirements, for example,” says DWR Director Karla Nemeth.
Looking at the past 12 months, the state says it was a significantly dry year for Southern California counties.
La Nina conditions are expected in the next couple of months — that’s the cool phase of a natural climate pattern across the tropical Pacific.
Climatologists are watching high pressure leading to cold air outbreaks and severe storms.
The DWR says it’s focused on flood preparedness in the Central Valley.
