California's Coastal City of Mendocino Is Running Out of Water, Locals Say

The coastal city of Mendocino, California is running out of water amid a severe drought. Local businesses are forced to now ship water in.(Getty)

By JOHANNA LI

First Published: 3:09 PM PDT, August 5, 2021

Local restaurants and hotels are spending thousands of dollars a month for water shipments, and nearby farmers and winemakers have been warned about a potential suspension of their water rights.

Mendocino, a coastal city in Northern California popular among tourists and art enthusiasts, is running out of water. As result of a severe drought, wells are running low, lakes are running dry and restaurants are limiting usage of their bathrooms.

“These towns on the coast are starting to shut off the sale of water,” Julian Lopez, owner of Mendocino’s Café Beaujolais, told CBS News. He said that even though their restaurant is closed three days a week in water conservation efforts, they still pay about $3,600 a month for water delivery, CBS News reported.

Nearby, the Algeria Inn is paying about $600 a week for water, amounting to about 3,500 gallons, in order to allow their guests to shower, inn runner Eric Hillesland told CBS News.

Lake Mendocino, which local farmers, ranchers and vineyard operators in addition to 600,000 people depend on, was recorded at 33% capacity last month, North Bay Business Journal reported. Those depending on water rights from Lake Mendocino have been warned for weeks about a possible suspension.

The drought is further complicated by wildfires that ravaged the region just last week, and continue in the surrounding areas like the Dixie Fire in nearby Greenville.

Activists warn that these are just a few signs of the exacerbating effects of climate change.