water

Following the first snow survey of the season, state officials said that snow depth is above the historical average, but they cautioned that the recent weather isn't enough by itself to end the drought.

For years, powerful farmers in Westlands Water District fought for more water from the state's rivers. Now some are changing course, because there's no more water to be found.

The information gleaned from the aerial surveys will give water managers a much clearer picture of what to expect when spring runoff begins.

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.

Cities and farms that rely on state water supplies will get 5% of what they requested in the new year, state water officials announced Thursday.

Several public interest groups sued the City of Bakersfield Nov. 30 alleging the city has been derelict in its operation of the Kern River by diverting most of its flows to agriculture and other uses leaving a dry riverbed through the heart of town.

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.

More than 1,200 wells have run dry this year statewide, a nearly 50% increase over the same period last year, according to state data. The groundwater crisis is most severe in the San Joaquin Valley.