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While most of the U.S is being pummeled by harsh winter storms dumping foot after foot of snow and leaving hundreds of thousands without power, California is gasping for water.  After two consecutive year of drought, the state is now staring a third one in the face.  California relies on the melt of the Sierra snowpack for the majority of its water supply.  That snowpack was already far below average when NOAA announced  the return of La Niñain January, a weather phenomena that caused a 20 percent drop in normal precipitation last year.  As the Golden State slips deeper into the most significant water crisis in its history, municipal authorities are beginning to enact tough restrictions on water use.  Such is the case in the Northern California enclave of Bolinas.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle this morning:

“Without drastic cutbacks, officials say, the community of 1,200 could run out of water by the end of April. The town on the southern end of the Point Reyes Peninsula already is drawing from two emergency reservoirs, one of which is effectively empty… A self-contained water system and limited supply have kept the population steady for decades - which is fine by most folks there. But as California copes with what state officials fear could be the worst drought in 150 years, Bolinas’ isolation has pushed its water system to the edge.”

Faced with this growing water emergency, Bolinas has imposed some of California’s toughest water rationing measures in the form of a three strikes rule.  Except for schools and certain businesses, each Bolinas Community Public Utility District customer may consume no more than 150 gallons a day, or about 4,500 gallons a month. This week, notices were dispersed door to door outlining the new policy. “On the first violation, customers will receive an official notice”, reported the Chronicle. “After a second, the district may install a flow-restricting device. After that, water service may be disconnected.”

This may sound harsh to some, especailly Americans living in regions of the country currently buried under snow.  However, California is experiencing the first major drought of the 21st century and without swift, even drastic action, the state, which produces more than half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts, could face both environmental and economic devastation with widespread reverberations.  Bolinas’ recently implemented restrictions on water usage are both necessary and worthy of emulation in parts of California facing similarly dire water outlooks.