During the month of July, 12 major California reservoirs shrank even further, dropping from a collective content of 37% of capacity on 30 June to 31% on 31 July. Despite significant rain in July, the reservoirs now only contain 45% of the historical average amount of water for 31 July.
Added to this disaster is the prediction of torrential rains this winter, caused by an extreme El Niño warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean. It always seems that major droughts in California never resolve slowly. Instead, they end suddenly with major flooding.