Angelenos Think Of Ways To Conserve Amid Record-Low Precipitation

BURBANK (CBSLA.com) — Many Southern Californians have found themselves thinking of ways to conserve amid growing concerns over the lack of rainfall across the state.

At a home improvement store in Burbank, landscaper Paul Maya stocked up on more succulent and water-tolerant materials and shrubs for gardening on Friday night.

"It's supposed to be cold during this time and it's supposed to be raining all the time. We don't have rain … it's really, really bad for us," Maya told KCAL9's Suraya Fadel.

Maya, like many Angelenos, is troubled by the record-low precipitation and wonders how it could impact his home and his business.

The winter's first snow survey confirmed shared concerns by water officials, who found mostly dry ground while looking for snowpacks near Lake Tahoe.

Although a drought emergency has not yet been declared, Gov. Jerry Brown's decision this week to form a drought management team has many residents like Nicole Timm concerned.

"It's odd for January because normally it's pretty rainy by now," she said. "Even though I'm a renter, I would still [take] precautions of how you use water."

The unexpected, unusually dry winter has caught some off-guard as LA is one of many cities in the state recording their lowest rain amount in a calendar year.

The U.S. Geological Survey says streams and rivers across the state are severely depleted and the levels of key reservoirs are dropping when they should be rising with winter rains.

Rationing has already started in some communities near Folsom Lake in Northern California.

Officials say if the winter stays dry, the hardest hit will be farmers in the San Joaquin Valley and rural communities that depend on wells.

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