Even with El Niño poised to potentially provide heavy rains in the coming months, Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order November 13 to extend the 25 percent statewide reduction well into next year.
The statewide conservation goal is set to last until October 31 of 2016, seven months longer than originally intended, but only if drought conditions linger past January.
It was in January of this year when Brown declared the state in a fourth year of drought.
Now Brown said the state must not only prepare for a fifth year of drought, but major winter storms as well.
The new executive order will also allow the State Water Resources Control Board and California Regional Water Quality Control Boards to accelerate application approvals for projects that enhance the ability of local agencies to capture water fro high precipitation events for either local storage or recharge consistent with water rights.
