Last week, Governor Jerry Brown made water conservation mandatory in the drought-stricken state of California. “As Californians, we have to pull together and save water in every way we can,” he said.
But if the four-year drought continues, conservation alone — at least what’s required by the governor’s plan — won’t fix the problem.
Across California, communities are examining all options to avoid running out of water. Some, like the coastal city of Santa Barbara, are looking to the past for inspiration.
This may be the most severe drought in recorded history in California, but it’s not the longest. The last big drought started in the late 1980s and lasted seven years.