Multimedia • Photos

Photo Gallery: Throwback — Stanford amidst drought

A close up shot of water against a green background.
According to a 2016 Stanford News article, Stanford’s fountains require several thousand gallons of water daily to make up for water lost to evaporation and other causes. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
By Megan King
Feb. 1, 2023, 2:01 p.m.

With the current climate and downpour of atmospheric rivers for weeks on end, it becomes difficult to remember that our school and state were ever in a drought.

On Oct. 1, 2022, California entered its fourth year of extreme drought; all counties in the state, including Santa Clara County, are under drought emergency proclamations, according to the official website of the State of California.

This photo essay (containing photos taken between Oct. 24-31, 2022) is an exploration of the drought’s effect on Stanford and the land that surrounds the campus, as well as Stanford’s management of and response to the drought.

Wet green grass and sidewalk.
While many sprinkler systems at Stanford run during the night to reduce water lost to evaporation, some lawns are still watered during the day, and water over-spray onto sidewalks and roads remains an issue. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
Close-up of moving water.
Campus fountain running in the afternoon. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
Photo of dry vegetation.
Vegetation near Felt Reservoir — one of the reservoirs that provide most of the water to irrigate Stanford’s lawns and fields. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
Flower bed with green grass in the background.
The lawn in front of Wilbur Hall is lush, green and irrigated, despite a few nearby small patches of lawn that are no longer being irrigated due to the drought. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
A spigot leaking water.
A spigot near the Stanford Golf Course and Red Barn was not turned off properly and leaks water. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
A puddle with reflections.
A puddle outside of the Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning in the afternoon on a precipitation-free day. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)
Three photos of a fountain, one at sunrise, one at midday, one at night, with Hoover Tower in the background.
The fountain in front of Hoover Tower is one of the few fountains that turns off at night. (Photo: MEGAN KING/The Stanford Daily)

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