Heavy Rains Ease California Drought--Slightly

(Wines&VInes) - Recent rains have helped ease the severe drought facing California grapegrowers, but only a little.
The rain fell mainly in California’s North Coast counties of Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino as well as in the central Sierra Nevada, source of most of the water used by growers in the state’s Central Valley.

The central Sierra Nevada snowpack has tripled over the past two weeks, to 36% of average as of Feb. 11, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

The state remains in extreme drought, however.

After nearly two dry months in what is normally a very wet period, the central Sierra snowpack stood at 12%. A storm in late January raised it to 18%, and more snow over the past week brought it to 36%.

The northern Sierra snowpack, the largest source of the state’s water supply, has risen to 19%, while the southern part of the range sits at 26%.

San Joaquin County
Paul Verdegaal, the University of California farm advisor for viticulture, almonds and berries in San Joaquin County, which includes most of the Lodi AVA, said, “Until the past weekend, we were at 10% to 15% of normal. The 2 inches that fell raised us to maybe one-third.”

Lodi averages 17-18 inches per rainfall year (July 1-June 30), with 7-8 inches falling before Jan. 1. “Dry-farmed vines can get by with 18-24 inches, but the growers normally supplement by the equivalent of 6 to 12 inches.”