Water

The state is the first in the world to require monitoring for tiny pieces of plastic, which contaminate people and wildlife globally.

During one of the driest years on record, California legislators didn't approve laws to protect depleted groundwater or boost water supplies.

As tens of thousands of low-income Californians struggle to pay their water bills, the Legislature approved a bill offering assistance. But the program has no funding.

A standoff over shutting down ranchers’ pumps signals a flareup of water wars as California is gripped by seemingly endless drought. “To hell with it. We’re starting the pumps,” one Siskiyou County rancher said.

Two other states – but not California – face cuts to Colorado River water in 2023 as the federal government escalates its drought response. But a deal remains out of reach.

Warning that the supply will shrink by 10% due to climate change, Newsom sets targets for recycled water and increased storage. But deadlines are distant, details are scant and there is no conservation mandate.

The tunnel project, which would cost billions and take decades, aims to help shore up water supplies in much of California. The new environmental impact report outlines the impacts.

It’s no quick fix. The scaled-down tunnel — which would bypass the Delta and funnel more water south — still has to clear a gauntlet of reviews, would cost at least $16 billion and could take 20 years.

As drought intensifies, the order affects many cities and growers from Fresno to the Oregon border, including 212 public water systems.

Sacramento Valley growers protected for decades by their water rights are suffering for the first time during this record-breaking drought. Wildlife refuges are struggling, too.