Drought

Hundreds of wells in Tulare Lake aquifer are at risk of going dry. Today's recommendation is the first time that state officials have moved to crack down on local plans that fail to stop excessive groundwater pumping.

Water providers say rebates for residential areas are costly and many people refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year.

Pardon the pun, but 2023 could be a watershed year not only for its immense amounts of rainfall and snow but for the 173-year war for control of California's water supply.

Nitrate contamination of well water has been a decades-long problem in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — and now stormwater has flushed more fertilizer and manure into aquifers.

As Colorado River flows decline, California's share of its water, and particularly that of the Imperial Irrigation District, face potential cutbacks by the federal Bureau of Reclamation.

Earth Day Op-Ed Contest Winner: 4th Place More than 100 high school and middle school students across California submitted opinion pieces to CalMatters’ inaugural Earth Day contest. The contest theme was “How have changes in climate impacted your community?” Guest Commentary written by Jesse Morris Jesse Morris is a high school student from Tulare County. He […]

CalMatters has won four more journalism awards, this time in the Best of the West contest recognizing work in 14 states. The contest was founded in 1987 to reward journalistic excellence and promote freedom of information.

The salmon population crash of 2008 felt like an anomaly in an otherwise productive fishery in California. Fifteen years later, the West Coast is right back where it started. Have we learned nothing in 15 years?

Salmon population forecasts are down for this year, prompting fishery managers to cancel the fishing season. The decision is unfortunate but necessary, state leaders say, and part of several actions being taken to restore the population.

The record rain and snow falling on California since late last year may have relieved the drought that plagued the state for the last three years, but the battles over water management will continue.