Water Security in the Sierra-Cascade

The Sierra-Cascade region is critical for California’s water supply. Snowpack is a key form of water storage. Forests and meadows help ensure water quality and reliability. The region contains all source watersheds for California’s developed water supply system. More than 75% percent of Californians drink water that originates in the Sierra-Cascade.

The quantity and quality of water from Sierra-Cascade headwaters is threatened by overcrowded forests, degraded meadows, and climate change. Historically, these headwaters yielded more and higher quality water than today. They also yielded water later into the summer. Although changing weather patterns play an important role, less crowded forests consumed less water per acre and allowed a deeper snowpack to develop.

Read more about water security in the Sierra-Cascade.