(paraphrased from an article in the Fresno Bee, 2/28/2009, By Denny Boyles and Mark Grossi)

If rains don’t end drought, city may require residents to cut their use by 25%

Unless March brings record rainfall, Fresno will be forced to impose new water restrictions on residents and businesses this summer, city officials say. The state’s three-year drought already has devastated Valley agriculture. The city is making plans to declare mandatory cuts of 25%. That could mean no washing cars with a hose, tightened irrigation rules and stepped-up enforcement by the city.

Fresno has already moved to “Stage 1” of its drought plan, which calls for voluntary 10% cuts in water use, said Lon Martin, assistant director of public utilities for Fresno.

“Stage 2” would mean mandatory reductions of 25%. Further stages could mean more drastic cuts.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a drought emergency after three years of below-average rain and snow in California. “This is a crisis…and we must treat it with the same urgency…”, he said.

Three dry winters have left California’s state and federally operated reservoirs at their lowest levels since 1992.

“The situation is extremely dire,” said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies.