Drought Action: Still Only a Trickle

California’s drought is fast becoming that rare event--a true crisis. But Gov. Pete Wilson is still right to mark time on declaring a drought emergency. A formal proclamation of emergency won’t make the drought any more severe than it is and can’t make it any better, either.

For now, there are other ways to do most of what needs doing to get California through the worst drought in recent history.

In some cases, that requires no more than accepting facts. The state doesn’t have enough water to send to Southern California after the end of this week, so customers will have to get along on less. The Metropolitan Water District will probably vote next Monday to cut deliveries to its 27 customer agencies by half, the most severe reduction in the MWD’s 62-year history.

Some local water officials are pressing for emergency powers to reduce the flow of the Sacramento River through the delta, a move that would mean some reduction in water quality as a price of holding 500,000 acre-feet of water in reserve. But the State Water Resources Control Board has the authority to do that without an emergency declaration and is likely to do so next month.

But in one area, more effort by the governor may be required. Too many communities, the largest being the city of San Diego, still do not take the drought seriously enough. Wilson must keep reminding public officials in such communities that he is serious about mandatory rationing to cut supplies in many areas to as little as 50% of normal.