El Niño and La Niña are part of a larger, irregular climate pattern called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) that occurs every two to seven years, and according to Dixon, we are sitting between the two, but going into a weak La Niña, which is expected to bring more rainfall from mid-summer. But, it's not an exact science, and if the dry spell continues, we could be forced to start tightening up on our water usage.
We recently discussed the problems with alien invasive species that were adding to a fire hazard, and this same growth of aliens is negatively affecting water usage.
To the trained eye, the early signs of drought are already in evidence, affecting both fauna and flora in the area. Jeff Ayliffe of Group Editors Online spoke to Mark Dixon to learn more.
