As a California resident, I don’t need fancy satellite photos to tell me we’ve received a lot of precipitation this year: it’s been raining at least once a week since last December. If you’ve been to the Sierras you’ve probably experienced one truly epic ski season, with Mammoth receiving 400 feet and some resorts so blanketed they could stay open through summer.
Nevertheless, seeing the above image — which juxtaposes our present-day Republic with a photo from 2014 — is impressive. The state went from a dusty ocher to verdant in a matter of months. And as Quartz reported, our reservoirs are now above normal levels, which is great not just for ski areas, but also farmers hoping to, y’know, continue their livelihoods (11% of the U.S.’s food comes from CA).
While it’s great that Governor Jerry Brown has lifted most of the drought restrictions, we shouldn’t forget that rainy seasons are rare, drought seasons aren’t, and we’d all be wise to err on the conservative side when consuming water, especially as relates to our lawns (despite the glut of water, waterwise landscaping is still a good idea).
Have fun out there, and don’t forget to pack a poncho.
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