How serious is the drought situation in California?

The drought in California is very serious. It has broken records and is so serious that a state of emergency was been declared in January of 2014 and lasted until the end of April this year (2016).

Late 2011 to 2014 has been the driest the state has ever been since records have been kept. Climate scientists have shown that from 2012-2014, the drought was worse than it had ever been in 1,200 years.

The drought is so serious that the land has actually sunk in response to the massive amount of groundwater that has been pumped to sustain the state. Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is at its lowest level in 500 years. Rivers and lakes have lost a tremendous amount of water.

Changes in Oroville Dam Reservoir:

Shasta Lake in 2011 and 2014:

The consequences of this drought have been severe. 58 million large trees are at water thresholds that threaten long-term health (source). Rivers and streams waters are so low and warm the journey is too risky for spawning salmon, so fish have been transported by trucks (source). The only species of newt found in Los Angeles is severely stressed.

Winter rains in 2015 lessened the effects of the drought, but many argue it isn't over. A recent report suggests that 90% of the state is still in a drought.