By JAMES DAMSCHRODER

The Union Democrat

After heavy snowfall blanketed the Central Sierra in January and February, dry conditions since have rapidly depleted the area's snowpack well below average for the second straight year, throwing California arguably into a drought.

The year's final snow survey, on Thursday, revealed a California snowpack at 67 percent of normal — after an April 1 snow survey that measured the snowpack at about average. This equates to a runoff that is predicted to be between 55 and 65 percent of normal.

The Mother Lode's river basins showed an even more dire situation. Electronic readings measured the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Mokelumne river basins' snowpack at 52 percent of normal, while the Merced River Basin was at 56 percent of normal.

This will be the second straight year that California snowpacks have been well below normal, but some experts are not willing to call the dry conditions a drought — at least not yet.

"If we have a third year like this, then we would be in a serious drought," said Elissa Lynn, the chief meteorologist with the Department of Water Resources.

But Lynn did admit that by some definitions, areas of California are already in a drought.

"This is a situation where we need to begin conserving," said Mike Chrisman, the California Secretary for Resources.

"We are not ready to say that the prospects are dim," Chrisman added.

Chrisman said that areas in Southern California have already begun conservation efforts, as well as farmers across the Central Valley.

"It reminds us that we need to recognize the need for added water storage," Chrisman said. "We're really up at it with the population growth and water supply."

The recent California snowpack readings are a result of a March and April that are close to the driest in recorded history.

Chrisman and Lynn were both willing to say that climate change is partially to blame for the dry conditions.

Lynn added that because of climate change, there is a significant chance the snowpack will continue to be below average in the coming years.

"Snowpacks are starting higher, and runoff is less," Chrisman said.

The only good news was that the current dry spell is wetter than the drought in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which ravaged California.

Now, though, other cards are stacked against California's water needs.

Recently the largest court-ordered water transfer restrictions in state history were established to protect the endangered Delta smelt fish.

The court order will cut California's water supply by 600,000 acre-feet in the first quarter of 2008, according to the State Water Contractors (SWC). This is enough water to serve more than 4.8 million people for one year.

"Not only are we facing severe restrictions under the Endangered Species Act on how much water we can deliver, less than average runoff means that water supplies are down as well," said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the SWC.

"California water agencies will therefore have to look at tougher restrictions and increased water rates as the crisis worsens."

Contact James Dam-schroder at jdamschroder @uniondemocrat.com or 736-8097.