San Juan Water District Declared Drought Is Over After Rain Filled Folsom Lake

San Juan Water District, which is serving the upper-crust residential estates in the Sacramento area, declared that the drought is over on March 23 after receiving enough rain filling up the Folsom Lake.

Folsom Lake, the district's main source of water, overflowed following months of El Niño rainfall. It had become so full that water should be released over the Folsom Dam, Los Angeles Times reported.

"That was a very visible signal," says Lisa Brown, customer service manager for the district. Some customers are wondering why the drought restrictions have not been lifted yet, so the district did. It replaced a 33 percent mandatory conservation cutback with a 10 percent voluntary cut and eliminating a 10 percent drought surcharge on water rates, effective April 1.

"Droughts are really a matter of signals. When it has rained a lot, people get comfortable," said Jeanine Jones, deputy drought manager, California DWR.

According to Assistant General Manager Keith Durkin, the high water level made it "very difficult to defend a continued 33 percent reduction in use."

Meanwhile, the Californians used 23.9 percent less water during the nine months of state's mandated water conservation that ended in February. Compared to the same months three years ago, the savings were less than the 25 percent water cuts that Gov. Jerry Brown mandated last year, according to Washington Post.

The chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, Felicia Marcus called it an "enormous effort" in saving water even if they missed the target.

"Californians rose to the occasion, reducing irrigation, fixing leaks, taking shorter showers and saving our precious water resources in all sorts of ways," she said.

According to the officials, the water saved within the nine months is good for about six million Californians for a year. They just saved 12 percent in February which is less than the 50 percent target ordered by Brown.