Drought

State officials warn some of the state’s most powerful and largest agricultural districts that their plans fail to address how over-pumping could harm local communities' drinking water supplies.

As the drought dries up California’s wetlands, traveling birds such as ducks, geese and eagles are struggling to survive and breed. “This drought is bad. The odds are against us,” a state expert said.

En resumen A medida que la sequía seca los humedales de California, las aves que viajan como patos, gansos y águilas luchan por sobrevivir y reproducirse. “Esta sequía es muy mala. Las probabilidades están en nuestra contra”, dijo un experto estatal. Read this article in English. Dice algo sobre la complejidad de la crisis del agua de California […]

Rain is descending on California as a bomb cyclone and atmospheric river hit the state, enough to end fire season but not the drought.

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, October 20. No state restrictions — yet You don’t have to conserve water — but the state would really, really appreciate it if you do. That was the message Gov. Gavin Newsom sent Tuesday when he declared a drought emergency for the entire state of California — a move that […]

Gov. Newsom expands the California drought emergency from 50 counties to statewide, but does not order mandatory water conservation. He did authorize water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act, it is time for the state to get on track toward ensuring swimmable, fishable and drinkable waters for all Californians.

When it comes to California’s fire season, there’s no rest for the weary. Soon after PG&E began restoring power to the 24,000 customers hit with shutoffs amid Monday and Tuesday’s gusty winds, the utility warned another 29,000 customers could face blackouts starting Thursday morning, when a second round of powerful winds is expected to pummel […]

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, October 8. At last: rain and snow California is about to get a breath of fresh air — literally. Cooler weather is set to sweep across much of the state over the weekend, bringing light rain to Southern California, the first significant snowfall of the season to the Sierra Nevada, […]

“The challenge is there is no water.” That bleak assessment from Karla Nemeth, director of the state Department of Water Resources, puts the devastating scope of California’s drought into perspective even more sharply than the sea of statistics released Tuesday and reported by CalMatters’ Rachel Becker: 90% of the state is gripped by extreme or […]