The good news is that our wet winter has officially ended the multi-year drought. The concerning news for Californians is that we still don’t have a way to store all the extra water.

As untold amounts of fresh water flow through the drainage channels and rivers, California will allow vast amounts of water to flow into the ocean and be lost. Without the increased storage capacity that has been much discussed in the last two years, Californians may likely hear reports of drought conditions and water restrictions.

For the state’s agricultural communities, this could mean job losses from dried up farms will be slow to return or quick to vanish again.  

From the Los Angeles Times:

Government water managers cringe at the word “drought.” But there are two words that they dread even more: “drought over.”

A drought forces the government to reduce water deliveries. That agitates farmers and urban gardeners. But at the same time, politicians and bureaucrats gain an opportunity to make a strong case for building more waterworks, especially dams.

Parching droughts and killer floods: They’re proven motivators that whip up public support for big water projects.

Read the full article here.