BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — According to the U.S Drought Monitor, majority of the state & Kern County specifically have moved away from drought warnings. The rain totals will benefit farmers & their crops during the season.
Once facing grim drought alerts, Kern County is now seeing a turnaround — replenished water supplies are delivering real relief to farmers and neighbors, turning fear into renewed hope this season.
In the past few weeks, Kern County has experienced an overflow of rain, Which has benefited our county and state tremendously. The overflow has brought 90% of the county out of drought warnings.
Brandon Michaels Chief Meteorologist 23ABC said "The reason that this is important is because the further out of drought we are, essentially the more water we have available. Water for crops and people, this can generally indicate good news for snow pack as well which is where we draw a lot of our water. The less drought we have the better we are."
In a new release from the US Drought Monitor, the majority of the state is starting to experience fewer drought warnings. Kern County specifically is in the clear, and the agricultural community is overwhelmed.
Evelyn Young-Spath President of the Kern County Black Farmers Association said "The rain is wonderful! It feels like a revival for small farmers, instead of us just being in survival mode. The rain is allowing us to lower our water cost, re-hydrating the soil, and washing the salts away. The rain is doing what it does naturally."
Just a few months ago,Kern County and the surrounding deserts were in a "severe drought" status.
"Last year I heard from other farmers that the crops were stressed. For me I know my tomatoes didn't do as well, they were a tasteless due to not having a great yield. That's what I am hearing from other farmers some of their crops didn't do so well during the drought." said Young
The new water year in California started on October first. Water managers use it to track, report and manage water resources.
"It's hard to say for certain if we are going to stay out of the drought for the entirety of winter. But, considering that we average about six inches of rain in a year here in Bakersfield. We are already close to about half of that, even if we don't get significant rain for the winter something like a severe or exceptional drought is highly likely." said Michaels
This is only a temporary fix, and professionals advise members in the community to still conserve water because the numbers can change within the seasons.
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