According to the Newsom administration, this year has witnessed extraordinarily warm temperatures, leading to quick melting of the Sierra Nevada snowpack in the waterways. The water is supposed to feed rivers and reservoirs, which could supply water for summer. However, much of the snow seeped into the ground instead. /CFP

The Newsom administration also said that the warmer temperature caused people to draw more water more quickly than in other drought years. The reservoirs, therefore, met a lower water level. /CFP

Newsom has called on people to limit their use by taking shorter showers or turning off faucets while brushing teeth. His declaration directs the water department to adjust their rules for reservoir releases to maintain more water supply. /CFP