Jesse Vad, SJV Water

A string of emails appears to show a California agency stood in the way of stream channel maintenance for more than five years, which may have led to flooding that caused severe damage in Merced County.

FEMA staff also declined to elaborate on the requested funding.

Three dam expansion projects could increase water storage for use in the Central Valley by a whopping 304,000 acre feet.

At a recent meeting, residents alleged the district has overcharged them and even threatened to call immigration services on some residents.

Flooding in March knocked out several of the community's wells. Residents say they are paying full price for intermittent water that they can't drink.

The epidemic of dry wells stems from plummeting groundwater levels, caused in part by agriculture’s heavy reliance on groundwater due to severely curtailed surface water deliveries because of the drought.

In a new paper, scientists show that airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys flown with helicopters can locate ancient underground passageways, called paleochannels. They say the finding could have significant impacts on how water is recharged in the valley.

City leaders predicted they'd run out of water before year-end after their surface water allocation was cut due to drought. Now a deal is in place with the Patterson Irrigation District to help bridge the gap.

Towns like Huron, Avenal, Coalinga and others may have to dig deep into their limited budgets to buy water at staggeringly high prices – in one case nearly 1,300% above the normal price.

In Tulare County, officials worry there may not be enough trucks or drivers to get emergency water supplies to communities that go dry.