As dry conditions continue throughout California and Butte County, conservation of water for all purposes is increasingly important. While 2018 winter and spring storms have brought rain, as of spring, 2018 portions of Butte County are still experiencing abnormally dry conditions. See the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Tracking the Drought
A number of agencies are tracking the drought, water conditions, impacts, and available resources to help municipalities, households, and farmers.
Private Well Owners
In recent years, a number of household wells, especially in the Durham area and foothills, have ‘gone dry’ meaning groundwater levels are falling below the depth of the pump or bottom of the well. Help Butte County document impacts of the drought by filling out and submitting this Well Reporting Form online. Although we cannot solve individual well problems, information we gather will assist in our drought assessment efforts and understanding groundwater basin conditions.
Butte County Drought Response
Drought Preparedness Plan
The Butte County Board of Supervisors adopted the Butte County Drought Preparedness and Mitigation Plan (Drought Plan) to protect the County from the effects of a drought and prepare appropriate responses.
Drought Task Force
The County’s Drought Plan establishes the Drought Task Force (DTF) to monitor hydrologic conditions throughout the water year and report the findings to the Water Commission and the Board of Supervisors annually in non-drought situations and biannually, quarterly, or monthly as a drought progresses.
Drought Task Force Meetings
| December 1, 2016 | Hydrologic Conditions, Well Permit Activity |
| May 31, 2016 | Hydrologic Conditions, Well Applications May Update, State Drought Actions |
| December 7, 2015 | Executive Order B-36-15, Hydrologic Conditions Update, Well Applications October Update |
| June 17, 2015 | Hydrologic Conditions, Well Applications May Update, Drought Impact |
| April 6, 2015 | SWRCB Emergency Resolution and Regulations, Hydrologic Conditions Update |
| December 8, 2014 | Hydrologic Conditions Update |
| August 4, 2014 | None Available |
| May 19, 2014 | Hydrologic Conditions Update |
| February 18, 2014 | None Available |
| November 18, 2013 | 2013 Hydrologic Conditions |
| June 17, 2013 | None Available |
| November 15, 2012 | 2012 Hydrologic Conditions |
| April 25, 2011 | None Available |
| June 11, 2010 | DTF Update June 11, 2010 |
| March 5, 2010 | DTF Update March 5, 2010 |
Drought Task Force Members
The Drought Task force is comprised of various Department Directors and others in the County.
| Director, Department of Water & Resource Conservation-Chair | Paul Gosselin |
| Emergency Services Officer-Vice Chair | Cindi Dunsmoor |
| Chair, Butte County Water Commission | David Skinner |
| Deputy Chief Administrative Officer | Shari McCracken |
| Director, Department of Public Works | Dennis Schmidt |
| Director, Division of Environmental Health | Elaine McSpadden |
| Commissioner, Department of Agriculture | Louie Mendoza |
| Director, UC Cooperative Extension/County Farm Advisor | Cass Mutters |
| California Department of Forestry/Butte County Fire | Darren Read |
| District Conservationist, Natural Resource Conservation Service | Dan Taverner |
| Director, Butte County Resource Conservation District | TBD |