OT Just how bad is the drought? Just curious OT

At the beginning of water year 2016, total system storage in the
Colorado River Basin was 30.0 maf (50% of 59.6 maf total system
capacity). This is nearly the same as the total storage at the
beginning of water years 2014 and 2015 which began at 29.9 maf and 30.0 maf, respectively, both of which were 50% of capacity. Since the beginning of water year 2000, total Colorado Basin storage has experienced year to year increases and decreases in response to wet and dry hydrology, ranging from a high of 94% of capacity at the beginning of 2000 to a low of 50% of capacity at the beginning of water year 2005. One wet year can significantly increase total system reservoir storage, just as persistent dry years can draw down the system storage. Based on current inflow forecasts, the current projected end of water year total Colorado Basin reservoir storage for water year 2016 is approximately 29.4 maf (49% of total system capacity). The actual end of water year 2016 system storage may vary from this projection, primarily due to uncertainty regarding the season's snowpack and resulting runoff and reservoir inflow. Based on the January minimum and maximum probable inflow forecasts and modeling, the range of end of water year 2016 total system capacity is approximately 27.4 maf (46%) to 34.1 maf (57%), respectively. The minimum and maximum probable scenarios will be updated again in April.

This update courtesy of Paul Davidson, Bureau of Reclamation

Droughts are complex events that can be associated with significantly reduced precipitation, dry soils that fail to sustain crops, and reduced levels in reservoirs and other bodies of water that can imperil drinking supplies. A common measure called the Palmer Drought Severity Index classifies the strength of a drought by tracking precipitation and evaporation over time and comparing them to the usual variability one would expect at a given location.
Dai turned to results from the 22 computer models used by the IPCC in its 2007 report to gather projections about temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, and Earth’s radiative balance, based on current projections of greenhouse gas emissions. He then fed the information into the Palmer model to calculate the PDSI index. A reading of +0.5 to -0.5 on the index indicates normal conditions, while a reading at or below -4 indicates extreme drought. The most index ranges from +10 to -10 for current climate conditions, although readings below -6 are exceedingly rare, even during short periods of time in small areas.