The San Joaquin Valley town of Corcoran is sinking. It’s fallen as much as 11.5 feet in some places, damaging drinking wells, changing the town’s flood zones and undermining critical infrastructure. The story is so dramatic that the New York Times covered it recently. The culprit here, though, is no ordinary villain – it’s the overpumping of groundwater.
As California’s drought deepens, Sacramento residents are falling short of meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for water conservation — at least so far. Area residents reduced water usage by an average of 6% last month, compared to August 2020, according to data released this week by the Sacramento Regional Water Authority. That compares with the […]
The California drought has been brutal over the past few years, but to see just how devastating it has been, you need to see before-and-after pictures side by side. Bay Area News Group photojournalist Nhat V. Meyer went out to the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County this week and took pictures in approximately the same places […]
Some Caldor Fire evacuees will be able to access their properties using Highway 50 as crews work toward reopening the closed stretch of the road to the public. The highway is closed between Kyburz and Meyers because of the fire, but starting Monday, property owners who live in that region will be able to receive […]
At the edge of a sandstone outcropping, Teresa Leger Fernández looks out on the Rio Chama. The river tracks a diverse landscape from the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains through rugged basalt hillsides, layers of volcanic tuff, and the red and yellow cliffs made famous by painter Georgia O’Keeffe.
Phil Fine stands in a parched field and watches a harvester gnaw through his carrot seed crop, spitting clouds of dust in its wake. Cracked dirt lines empty irrigation canals, and dust devils and tumbleweeds punctuate a landscape in shades of brown. Across an invisible line separating Fine’s irrigation district from the next, it’s another […]
Opinion: Water Markets Can Help Bring California’s Groundwater Into Balance
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /CalMattersby Andrew Ayres and Ellen HanakThe San Joaquin Valley town of Corcoran is sinking. It’s fallen as much as 11.5 feet in some places, damaging drinking wells, changing the town’s flood zones and undermining critical infrastructure. The story is so dramatic that the New York Times covered it recently. The culprit here, though, is no ordinary villain – it’s the overpumping of groundwater.
Sacramento Reduces Water Consumption but Falls Short of Newsom’s Goal for California
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Sacramento Beeby Dale KaslerAs California’s drought deepens, Sacramento residents are falling short of meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for water conservation — at least so far. Area residents reduced water usage by an average of 6% last month, compared to August 2020, according to data released this week by the Sacramento Regional Water Authority. That compares with the […]
Stunning Photos Show Drought’s Impact on Huge California Reservoir
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Mercury Newsby Nhat V. MeyerThe California drought has been brutal over the past few years, but to see just how devastating it has been, you need to see before-and-after pictures side by side. Bay Area News Group photojournalist Nhat V. Meyer went out to the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County this week and took pictures in approximately the same places […]
Caldor Fire Evacuees Getting Highway 50 Access as Crews Work Toward Full Reopening
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /KCRA3Some Caldor Fire evacuees will be able to access their properties using Highway 50 as crews work toward reopening the closed stretch of the road to the public. The highway is closed between Kyburz and Meyers because of the fire, but starting Monday, property owners who live in that region will be able to receive […]
Drought Tests Centuries-Old Water Traditions in New Mexico
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /AP Newsby Susan Montoya BryanAt the edge of a sandstone outcropping, Teresa Leger Fernández looks out on the Rio Chama. The river tracks a diverse landscape from the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains through rugged basalt hillsides, layers of volcanic tuff, and the red and yellow cliffs made famous by painter Georgia O’Keeffe.
Drought Haves, Have-Not’s Test How to Share Water in the West
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /AP Newsby Gillian Flaccus and Brittany PetersonPhil Fine stands in a parched field and watches a harvester gnaw through his carrot seed crop, spitting clouds of dust in its wake. Cracked dirt lines empty irrigation canals, and dust devils and tumbleweeds punctuate a landscape in shades of brown. Across an invisible line separating Fine’s irrigation district from the next, it’s another […]