Lack of snow means lack of water

Skiers, snowboarders and cold-weather enthusiasts already know that snow has been hard to come by this winter. This was obvious backed by the drop in tourism at Tahoe.

About 20 percent of ski resorts needed artificial snow machines to stay open, with just enough people coming by to keep it open.

But all this was just the beginning of it.

Now the lack of snowfall as the spring and summer approach is causing concerns about water.

The state Department of Water and Resources conduced its fifth and last snow survey Tuesday. The water content of the snowpack this season is 40 percent of normal.

This time last year, it was 190 percent of normal.

The department expects to deliver 60 percent of water requested by using the State Water Project. The project supplies 25 million Californians and 1 million acres of agricultural land.

The winter snowpack provides about a third of water to California when the snow melts in spring and summer, making it a crucial resource for the state.