LET IT RAIN

California Drought Is Officially Over

But water conservation measures will remain in place.

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday issued an executive order declaring the state’s four-year drought officially over. “This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner,” he said in a statement, adding that “conservation must remain a way of life.” Four counties in San Joaquin Valley still have emergency drought measures in place due to dried-up wells, and Brown said the state will continue to crack down on wasteful water practices. The drought, officially declared in January 2014, prompted the state to put a series of measures in place to prevent wasteful practices, with a 25% cut in urban water use and a ban on hosing down driveways or watering yards during or immediately after rain. Five state agencies have also drafted a long-term conservation plan to prevent any wasteful practices in the future, and local municipalities will still have to report their monthly water usage.