Voluntary Cutbacks in Water Use Requested : Drought: Despite state announcement, local officials say last year’s surplus should be enough to carry the county through the shortage.

Although water levels in Ventura County’s reserves remain relatively high, a drought watch announced Monday by state officials has the county’s largest water distributor asking residents to voluntarily cut back on usage.

Despite a rainy season that produced a snowpack estimated to be about 70% below normal, local officials said last year’s surplus should be enough to carry the county through the shortage.

“The state water levels are way below normal,” said Don Kendall, manager of the Calleguas Municipal Water District, which provides water from state resources to 450,000 users throughout the east county, Camarillo and Oxnard. “We’re in drought watch mode, but there’s probably adequate storage this year to get through to next year.”

The county actually fares better than much of Southern California, state officials said, in large part because of water stored in the North Las Posas Groundwater Basin by Calleguas and because water levels at Lake Casitas are still high from last year’s rains.

However, water district officials cautioned that relying on last year’s heavy rains and resulting surplus--snowpack was 150% of average at this time last year--is dangerous business.

“We have to be prudent,” said Maurice Roos, a hydrologist with the state. “We have to be aware that we’re not sure what next winter is going to bring. One more dry year could send us into drought.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which delivers water it buys from the state to Calleguas, is asking customers to cut usage by 10%.

“We know we have ample supplies of water for this year, but who knows what is going to happen next year?” spokesman Bob Gomperz said. If winter rains have not begun by November, he said, the district may institute mandatory cutbacks.

By the time the six-year drought ended last year, Gomperz said, most Southern Californians had learned to live with less water, installing conservation devices in showers, sinks and toilets. That awareness hasn’t faded, he said, and, as a result, usage continues at lower-than-average levels.

Kendall said Calleguas is relying on several recent efforts it has made to “drought-proof” the region to ease the worries about a drought watch.

Pumping the North Las Posas basin with water from state resources has given the district a backup if the state returns to full drought status, he said. That underground basin can store up to 300,000 acre-feet, three times the amount consumed annually by the district’s users.

One acre-foot is enough to supply an average family with water for two years.

The district also plans to conserve water with the opening of a new reclamation plant near Oak Park this summer, Kendall said. Treated sewage system water from the plant will be used to irrigate parks, golf courses and other greenbelt areas.

Alan Jones, spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources in Sacramento, said runoff from the Sacramento River watershed is expected to be half its average this year.

“That’s what we call a critically dry year,” Jones said.

He said supplies at state reservoirs, now at about 90%, will dissipate before the next rainy season begins.

“By fall, we may be at a point where reservoir storage is so low that we’ll consider ourselves in a drought,” Jones said.

According to the Ventura County Flood Control District, rainfall for the county was about 70% of normal this year.

For the Casitas Municipal Water District, which relies solely on Lake Casitas to supply its 55,000 users in western Ventura and the Ojai Valley, this year’s rain, coupled with last year’s surplus, was enough to keep the reservoir 93% full.

“No worries from us,” said John Johnson, Casitas general manager. “We’ve got enough to last six or seven years.”

The United Water Conservation District, which replenishes ground-water basins in the Santa Clara River Valley and the Oxnard Plain, also reported respectable water levels and plans no service cutbacks.

“Lake Piru is at average inflow level for the year, and we’ve got substantial carry-over from last year, so we’re in fine shape,” General Manager Frederick Gientke said.

County Rainfall

Rainfall figures from the Ventura County Flood Control District for the rainy season that began Oct. 1 and ended April 30.

Rainfall Normal rainfall Percentage Location this season for season of normal Camarillo 9.69 12.77 76% Casitas Dam 15.34 22.60 68 El Rio 10.86 14.54 75 Fillmore 11.55 18.08 64 Moorpark 10.10 14.19 71 Ojai 12.35 20.62 60 Upper Ojai 14.47 22.70 64 Oxnard 11.19 14.08 80 Piru 9.81 16.59 59 Santa Paula 13.00 16.91 77 Simi Valley 9.27 14.89 62 Thousand Oaks 9.64 13.89 69 Ventura Govt. Center 10.98 15.49 71