FRESNO, CA – JULY 8: Pine Flat Lake, a large size 1 million acre-feet reservoir designed to hold water for agriculture, hydroelectric power, and flood control now at 26% capacity, is viewed on July 8, 2021, thirty minutes east of Fresno, California. Due to a lack of rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada during the past two years, California is experiencing one of the driest and hottest periods of weather in recorded history, forcing municipalities and farmers in the Central Valley to rethink their uses of water. As of this date, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a water “State of Emergency” for most state counties and has asked residents to reduce their use of water by 15%.