As California Recovers From Drought, Environmentalists Focus Efforts On Santa Ana Sucker Over Groundwater Replenishment

Over the past five years, California slowly wilted, then parched and crisped. The state went through a period of severe drought, which hurt the state’s agricultural industry and necessitated harsh cutbacks in residential water use. At last, rain has come. Gov. Jerry Brown announced on Friday that the state of emergency was officially over. The drought might officially have ended, but groundwater stores remain depleted. In the face of this, several environmentalist groups have filed a lawsuit against the city of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department and the city of San Bernardino, arguing that a new water management plan will hurt the endangered Santa Ana sucker, a small fish.