Water

The chemical, used for decades, can harm babies’ developing brains. Farmworkers and people living near fields are most at risk. The EPA issued a rare emergency order.

The fire is moving into areas where salmon are waiting to spawn. Already in dire shape, experts worry that the Park Fire could be the deathblow to these fish.

Urban water agencies serving a third of Californians won’t need to cut use, while Central Valley and desert cities face the most cuts.

A Kings County judge granted a temporary restraining order against the state's unprecedented mandate. Growers there will not have to meter their groundwater use for now.

The measures are substantially weaker than a previous proposal after an onslaught of criticism. But they will still save enough water through 2050 to supply the state’s entire population for a year, at a cost of $4.7 billion.

Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

Die-offs from algae blooms in San Francisco and Delta water diversions have left a giant, shark-like, prehistoric creature at risk. State wildlife officials approved white sturgeon as a candidate for listing, which triggers protection.

The dam repairs would store more water and protect the public, but legislators and the governor, facing a huge deficit, cut $50 million.

Researchers say if California could collect and treat more stormwater in cities, it could provide enough water to supply a quarter of the state’s urban population.

The centerpiece of California's water wars pits Gov. Newsom against local communities and environmentalists. A new report says the benefits of the tunnel exceed the cost since other water supplies would cost more.