During a visit to the Central Coast Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom expanded a state of emergency drought relief order to include Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.
The emergency order now covers 50 of the state’s 58 counties, and makes it easier for agencies to get state and federal aid, as well as to take steps to conserve water.
Speaking at Lake Lopez, the governor also asked people to help conserve water, setting a goal of a 15% reduction in usage.
The governor’s call for water conservation as of right now is voluntary. Newsom says if the state can cut usage by the 15%, it would save about 850,000 acre feet of water annually. That’s enough water to supply 1.7 million residents for a year.
