There will be many lessons we learn from the way we have managed our water resources over the past several decades.

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board on Friday made announcements and took additional action in response to the dry conditions in California. DWR provided that: “except for a small amount of carryover water from 2013, customers of the State Water Project (SWP) will get no deliveries in 2014 if current dry conditions persist and deliveries to agricultural districts with long-standing water rights in the Sacramento Valley may be cut 50 percent — the maximum permitted by contract — depending upon future snow survey results. It is important to note that almost all areas served by the SWP have other sources of water, such as groundwater, local reservoirs, and other supplies.”