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When it comes to California’s ongoing drought, there’s good news and bad news. While the level of statewide drought has been decreasing over the past year, La Niña predictions suggest California could be in for more dryness in the near future.

The latest numbers from the U.S. Drought Monitor show less drought throughout the state today compared to the same time last year. About 60 percent of the state is still in severe drought or worse, but that’s down from about 95 percent one year ago.

When it comes to California’s ongoing drought, there’s good news and bad news. While the level of statewide drought has been decreasing over the past year, La Niña predictions suggest California could be in for more dryness in the near future.

The latest numbers from the U.S. Drought Monitor show less drought throughout the state today compared to the same time last year. About 60 percent of the state is still in severe drought or worse, but that’s down from about 95 percent one year ago.

Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in the Sespe Wilderness north of Ojai on Sunday with no containment in sight.

The Pine fire started Thursday morning about 11 miles north of Ojai. As of Sunday morning, the fire had consumed 1,590 acres and was threatening 50 structures, said Helen Tarbet with the Los Padres National Forest. The area’s “very remote and steep and rugged terrain” has made it difficult for the more than 350 fire personnel to get a handle on the blaze, Tarbet said. The fire could be partially contained by Sunday night.

Californians are so used to bad news on the water front — from lengthy droughts to soaring water rates — that any good news seems particularly welcome. That’s certainly the case with a Stanford University study showing that the parched Central Valley has three times as much groundwater as previously assumed.

Researchers Mary Kang and Robert Jackson found the water in areas 1,000 to 3,000 feet underground, going much deeper than normal surveys.

The California Natural Resource Agency is holding workshops to explain what’s being done to save the shrinking Salton Sea, and the agency is open to hearing ideas from the public.

Recently the California state budget allocated more than $80 million for projects to save California’s largest lake from turning into a major health hazard. Dozens of people showed up for the Salton Sea Management public workshop at the Coachella Valley Water District headquarters on Thursday night. Some people came with questions on what’s being done to save the Salton Sea.