Lake Mead in May hit its lowest point in May as levels dropped below 1075 feet.

If you follow water news, you may have seen a lot of press coverage lately regarding changing drought restrictions implemented by the California State Water Resources Control Board due to the effects of El Nino rains and snow in Northern California. Here in the Imperial Valley where rain remains scarce it might be hard to imagine that El Nino had much effect at all, but apparently it did. So much so that the State Water Board on May 18 removed the drought plan that called for municipalities to cut water usage by a certain percentage and instead initiated a drought plan that makes conservation situational to each community’s water circumstances. This new plan, which will continue through January 2017, represents an easing of restrictions but it remains to be seen how local agencies

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Terry Fulp, deputy regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Region, gives a presention during a forum April 6 organized by Imperial Valley Water (IVH20) at Imperial Palms Resort in Holtville

For those of you who missed the water forum last week, April 6, sponsored by Imperial Valley Water (IVH2O) held at the Imperial Palms Resort in Holtville, this post is meant to share with you the sobering but hopeful message delivered by Terry Fulp, deputy regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Region. Fulp served as the speaker during the forum, and his message was an important one. He was there to discuss the state of Colorado River operations in light of the ongoing drought that has depleted the two critical reservoirs on the River, Lake Powel and Lake Mead. While he spoke for about an hour and made a number of

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Snowpack surveys like the one pictured in this file photo are taking place to determine snow levels and the impact on the drought.

Precipitation and snow levels are higher this year thanks to El Niño conditions, but the drought is far from over, especially as the rains have targeted Northern California while Southern California has been comparatively dryer. That said, there have been benefits along the Colorado River Basin. Namely, a shortage declaration at Lake Mead, which supplies Colorado River to the Lower Basin states, including California, once anticipated for this year, has been pushed back to 2017. It is reasonable to think that additional storms and snow could go father in holding off any such shortage declaration.

But California and our neighboring Basin states are from out of the woods. It would take more than just one good season of rain and snow to move the West out of

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