DWR has published its latest drought bulletin which provides a monthly update to California’s water conditions. As the winter season is upon us, reservoir conditions have typically reached their lowest levels after summer demands. The total statewide October through December precipitation was 78 percent of average, further adding to our accumulated water supply deficit. Information in the update is based on hydrologic data compiled through the end of December. This month’s report includes: updated information on hydrologic and water supply conditions; local drought impacts; a discussion on historical drought periods; impacts by hydrologic region; and the status of drought emergencies declared by counties. You can find the bulletin here.

The Water Resources Center Archives at UC Berkeley has completed the digitization of the California Water Atlas (1979), which the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research authorized last August. The atlas is a detailed, lavishly illustrated description of water and water issues in California. When published in 1979, Charles Wollenberg in the California Historical Quarterly called it “a very big and beautiful book...well-written, spectacularly illustrated, and filled with useful information for expert and layman alike...an indispensable sourcebook for decades to come.” You can find it here.