Interoffice Memo: The California Drought

The California Drought
Student’s Name
Institution
The California Drought
The California Drought refers to a prolonged period of drier-than-normal conditions that have resulted in problems related to water from 2011 to date. The state has been experiencing drought characterized by drying up of wells, increased fires, and water challenges for farmers. Although 2017 has seen an increased snowpack and precipitation and has even led to the drought state of emergency being called off officially, reports indicate that the state could experience another one soon. According to the Associated Press (2017), after officially ending the drought, the governor of the state, Jerry Brown, warned that another drought might be around the corner and it is important for preparations to be made.
The California Drought was so intense that Brown had to declare a state of emergency in January 2014 (California Water Science Center, 2017). The drought saw the state experience low rainfall and reduced levels of snow packs. The period was also characterized by record levels of fires as a result of greenery drying up. The state of emergency declared by Brown required that the people in the state reduce their use of water by 25%. As such, the drought has been a major issue for the state, and people have been affected to a great extent. As noted by the California Water Science Center (2017), approximately 10 million people were affected by the drought as of May 2017. In addition, while the state of emergency has been lifted in most counties, it is still active in Tuolumne, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings (Associated Press, 2017). As seen, it is a significant problem that needs proper planning for the future.
The California Drought is a political issue because the problems that people are facing are a result of policies by the political class both in the past and in the present (Collins,...