SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has expanded a drought emergency declaration to a large swath of the nation’s most populated state amid “acute water supply shortages” in northern and central areas.
Monday's declaration now covers 41 of the 58 counties, covering 30% of California's nearly 40 million people.
The governor last month had declared an emergency in just two counties north of San Francisco. It comes as Newsom prepares to propose more spending on both short- and long-term responses to dry conditions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of the state and a huge swath of the American West is in extensive drought.
