Experts say end of Calif. drought unlikely

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Experts say it would take a winter full of potentially destructive rainy weather to prevent California's drought from entering its third year.

Jeanine Johnson, California Department of Water Resources interstate resources manager, said unless winter precipitation statewide reaches near mega-storm proportions, the drought will stretch into 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

"We need much more than average (precipitation) to recover water storage, and even then we face an uncertain future with respect to the delta," Johnson said.

The disconcerting report was made during the department's first-ever winter precipitation outlook conference Friday.

Klaus Wolter of the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado said Southern California would likely endure a very dry winter, while northern parts of the state would enjoy an average winter.

Mike Dettinger of the U.S. Geological Survey said the impact of such mild winter conditions could be overcome if a few big storms actually took place, the Chronicle reported.

"A few storms can make a huge difference in California," he said. "They're big guys ... but they're not just disasters, they're a huge part of our water supply."