Long term drought continued through the month of March, but with significant improvements in mountain snow pack and most reservoir levels. After a period of extremely dry and warm conditions for most of February, a pattern of moist westerly flow brought a series of unusually wet storms in March. This added significantly to the snow pack for the northern Sierra and southern Cascades. Snow pack increased to around 97% of normal for those areas, while on average the whole state was 86%. Reservoirs across interior northern California continued to increase, with the two largest rising to above normal levels. Lake Shasta was 109% of normal by the end of the month, Lake Oroville was 114%. Folsom Lake was 110% of normal and had to make flood control releases. In contrast, Don Pedro and New Melones remained below normal. The Department of Water Resources increased water delivery projections to 45% of requests, up from a 30% estimate in late February.
Exceptional to extreme drought continued to be detected by the U.S. Drought Monitor across most of the Central Valley. Much of Shasta and Lake counties improved from severe to moderate drought by the end of the month. Most other mountain areas improved from exceptional to severe drought, except 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.
Due to the wet month, DWR cancelled plans to install a drought barrier in the late spring to help control salinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A drought barrier was erected in 2015 to prevent salt water from encroaching from the San Francisco Bay and remained from June to November.
Local Emergency Proclamations remain for El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Plumas, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sutter, Tuolumne, and Yuba counties. The cities of Live Oak Lodi, and Ripon continue in a drought emergency. 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, though Californians missed these targeted reductions for the month. Residents and businesses only cut usage by 12 percent, which was the lowest monthly reduction since the mandate became effective in June. From April 2015 to February 2016, state regulators reported urban residents were able to cut back their water usage by 23.9 percent from June 2015 to February 2016, just about 1 percent short from Governor Jerry Brown's 25 percent goal.
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 SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-MAR-16 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-16 23:59:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System indicated there were some homes without well water due to dry wells, with 227 in Stanislaus County and 25 in San Joaquin County, unchanged from February.  However, many communities in the Northern San Joaquin valley are still receiving food assistance as a direct result of the drought.

Drought in SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-MAR-16 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-16 23:59:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

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 February.

Drought in CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-MAR-16 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-16 23:59:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

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 8 in Colusa County. This was unchanged from February. Butte County reported a reduction to 0 wells.

Drought in CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA, CALIFORNIA
From 01-MAR-16 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-16 23:59:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

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

Drought in MOTHERLODE/CAMPTONVILLE TO GROVELAND, CALIFORNIA
From 01-MAR-16 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-16 23:59:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The Household Water Supply Shortage Reporting System had Calavereas county with 1 household and Tuolumne had 235 households. These were unchanged from February.

Drought in NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
From 01-MAR-16 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-16 23:59:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

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 February.