After the water table below Stratford dropped an astounding 100 feet in the past two years, it set off a slow-motion collapse of the ground underfoot, crushing part of a town well. Repairs were made quickly, but the crumpled well holds significance beyond this Kings County town of 1,200. After three dry seasons -- the
An underground aquifer that is an important source of drinking water for the Inland Empire is at a record low, local water officials reported Friday. Officials with the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and neighboring agencies say groundwater levels in an aquifer beneath the Bunker Hill Basin are at their lowest level in recorded
"Traded water" represents a relatively small part of all water used by Californians but it has grown significantly over the past three decades. (A good deal of the water is bought and delivered under long-term contracts through an intricate network of state and federal aqueducts.) Annual trades in the early 1980s averaged just over 100,000
Just how fast the state's climate is changing became apparent Monday when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released figures showing the first six months of this year were the hottest the state has ever recorded -- breaking the mark by a single degree after 80 years. That record came hot on the heels of
The Oakdale Irrigation District hasn’t raised its water rates in 30 years, and it was obvious Tuesday that OID’s directors resent a state law requiring them to charge farmers more to irrigate. “All of this is getting forced on us,” board Chairman Steve Webb repeatedly stated. Virtually every other California irrigation district has complied with
Like traffic school, where derelict drivers learn about road safety with the hope of getting their tickets reduced, 30 students gathered at a downtown community center Monday night to come to a better understanding of California's drought and - pending a quiz at the end of the night - get their water fines dismissed. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Water-school-washes-away-fines-for-water-hogs-5623976.php
After 12 consecutive years of rate increases, water district directors will meet Thursday to consider another hike for customers, including extra penalties for heavy water users. The agency has proposed a surcharge on bills customers pay every other month to fill a $15 million budget gap that Alameda County Water District leaders blame on the
A Sacramento Superior Court judge issued a ruling Tuesday requiring regulation of groundwater pumping to protect a river in Siskiyou County. Attorneys on both sides say it's the first time a California court has ruled the "public trust doctrine" applies to groundwater. The doctrine says the State of California holds all waterways for the benefit
California's north-south water rivalry revved up Wednesday, a day after a state survey showed that while most of the drought-ravaged state modestly reduced its water consumption, coastal Southern California is headed in the wrong direction. It increased its water use by 8 percent in May compared with the average of the three previous Mays. But
As the effects of the drought worsen, two persistent water myths are complicating the search for solutions. One is that environmental regulation is causing California’s water scarcity. The other is that conservation alone can bring us into balance. Each myth has different advocates. But both hinder the development of effective policies to manage one of