Communicating Drought-Related Water Resources Forecast Information in California - How Drought Has Driven Improvement in the Delivery of Water Resources Forecast Information for Water Managers, the Media, and the Public

Drought is a seemingly straightforward concept, essentially a prolonged lack of sufficient precipitation over a given area. California has one of the most highly managed water systems in the world and it is difficult for municipal water users to be connected to the origin of their water or the extent of drought when there is such an intensive reliance on irrigation and the water always flows when the tap is turned on. The California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) uniquely combines weather, hydrology, and climate every day to create water resources forecasts that extend out to one year in the future for California (and much of Nevada). However, the secondary mission is to provide water resources forecast information for the enhancement of ecological and economic interests. Hydrologic forecasting becomes more difficult under low flow conditions at the same time that scrutiny of the forecasts increases. One product used to help convey the extent of the drought was the DWR’s Major Reservoirs Daily Graph. Another product that was especially useful to highlight in communicating the extent of the drought was the DWR’s 8-Station Northern Sierra Precipitation Index. Additionally, the use of social media allowed the CNRFC to interpret conditions for the general public. Future drought-driven improvements in CNRFC products and services include the ability to view three year look-back plots of seasonal and water year hydrologic forecasts. Since droughts reflect cumulative multi-year precipitation deficits, drought visualizations should include corresponding cumulative deficits and the CNRFC offered these depictions.

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