Long term drought impacts continued through the month of April, but near seasonal values for Northern and Central Sierra mountain snow pack and the Big 3 northern reservoir levels meant some good news. The very active March resulted in much above average precipitation numbers which helped top off the reservoirs. In fact, they had to do some flood control releases on Folsom as it was above historical levels. Reservoirs across interior northern California continued to increase, with the three largest rising to above normal levels. Lake Shasta was 108% of normal by the end of the month, Lake Oroville was 118% and Folsom Lake was 113% of normal. In contrast, Don Pedro and New Melones remained below normal at 67% and 26% respectively. On April 21st, the Department of Water Resources increased water delivery projections to the State Water Project to 60%, up from a 45% estimate in late March.
Severe to extreme drought continued to be detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor across most of the Central Valley; while Shasta and Lake counties remained in moderate drought by the end of the month. The remainder of the Central and northern portion of the Southern Sierra Nevada mountain areas remained in the severe to extreme drought.  In improvement from exceptional to extreme in the Sierra south of Highway 50.
Groundwater aquifers recharged much more slowly than the surface reservoirs, with many in the Central Valley still falling toward record levels.
Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California January 17, 2014 and this continued to be in effect. He extended the executive order requiring Californians to continue conserving water through October 2016. At the end of January, 2016, the California State Water Control Board approved an eight-month extension of the existing drought-related emergency regulations with just some minor adjustments.
Local Emergency Proclamations remain for Butte, Colusa, Calaveras, El Dorado, Glenn, Plumas, San Joaquin, Shasta, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne, and Yuba. The cities of  Live Oak (Sutter County), Lodi (San Joaquin County), Manteca (San Joaquin County), Portola (Plumas County), Ripon (San Joaquin County), and
West Sacramento (Yolo County). Drought task forces have been established in Butte, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tuolumne, and Yolo counties to coordinate response to the drought.
Mandatory water reductions of 25 percent as ordered by Governor Brown continued to be in effect statewide.
The state continued to supply food assistance to those impacted by the drought, along with California Disaster Assistance Act money for those who have lost drinking water due to dry wells. Nonprofit organizations in the San Joaquin Valley struggled to meet the needs of their clients for drought-related programs.

Drought in NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-APR-16 00:00:00 to 30-APR-16 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were still some homes without well water due to dry wells, with 2 in Shasta County, 34 at Tehama County, unchanged from March.

Astronomical Low Tide in CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-APR-16 00:00:00 to 30-APR-16 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were some homes without well water due to dry wells with 28 in Glenn County, and 9 in Colusa County. This was up 1 in Colusa from March. Butte County continued at 0 wells.

Drought in SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-APR-16 00:00:00 to 30-APR-16 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were some homes without well water due to dry wells, with 3 in Yolo County and 1 in Sacramento County, unchanged from March.

Drought in CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA, CALIFORNIA
From 01-APR-16 00:00:00 to 30-APR-16 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System had 1 home without well water in Solano County, unchanged from March.

Drought in NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-APR-16 00:00:00 to 30-APR-16 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were some homes without well water due to dry wells, with 228 in Stanislaus County, up one from March, and 25 in San Joaquin County, unchanged from March. However, many communities in the Northern San Joaquin valley are still receiving food assistance as a direct result of the drought.

Drought in MOTHERLODE/CAMPTONVILLE TO GROVELAND, CALIFORNIA
From 01-APR-16 00:00:00 to 30-APR-16 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System had Calavereas county with 1 household, unchanged from March, and Tuolumne county had 238 households, up 3 from March.