California’s governor has asked state residents to reduce their water use as he expanded a drought emergency declaration to areas home to nearly half of California’s population. Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement Thursday at Lopez Lake, a reservoir in San Luis Obispo County that’s at just 34% capacity.
Gov. Gavin Newsom: “The hots are getting a lot hotter. The dries are getting a lot drier. And climate change is real, and it’s here. And if you don’t believe it because you don’t believe science, you’ve got to believe your own eyes.”
California just experienced its driest rainy season on record, with average statewide precipitation plummeting to a 126-year low.