The drought’s lasting impact

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), a nonpartisan agency, the California drought will have a long-lasting impact on rural communities and native fish, even after the drought has subsided.

Because many wells in the Central Valley have run dry recently, people in those communities will rely on state programs for years to come. It will be a long-term investment for the state because those people will rely on the government to hook them up to other water sources.

LAO has encouraged water agencies and municipalities to study their drought response in order to decide what has and has not worked.

So far, the state has spent $471 million for long-term water projects. Of the $628 million being used for immediate drought response needs, more than two-thirds have been utilized.