| THE COLONY NEWS | JULY 2021 | 13
COMMITTEE NEWS
LANDSCAPE ADVISORY, continued
About 90 percent of the West is now either abnormally dry
or in a drought which, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor,
is among the highest percentages in the past 20 years. Much
of California endured its second consecutive dry winter, with
reduced snowpack levels. By the end of May, more than a
quarter of California was categorized as having the highest
drought level: "D4 or Exceptional Drought." Reference the map
from the U.S. Drought Monitor:
Reduced snowpack leads to low water reservoir levels, which
leads to conservation measures. Water restrictions have begun
in Northern California and may spread throughout the state.
Annual rate increases have been proposed and announced by
both water districts servicing The Colony.
The rainy season that just ended was the third driest on record.
The Colony ended the fiscal year (FY 2020-21) with water costs
being over budget by $37,042 or 10 percent. Fortunately, the
annual water usage was under 7,011 HCF, or 7 percent from the
2012-20 average usage.
Lastly, an article on the drought would not be complete
without mentioning the hotter temperatures we have been
experiencing, which are reducing the moisture in the ground.
AccuWeather forecasters "are expecting an above-average fire
season."
