News articles and links from July 31, 2014

Water Use

OPINION: Why almonds cover California From: Carolee Krieger, San Francisco Chronicle    California produces more than 80 percent of the world's almonds, accounting for an export gross of more than $2.5 billion. Almonds, in short, are a profitable crop. But there's a big problem with these new plantings in the San Joaquin Valley. Almonds are thirsty. California's almond orchards use almost 9 percent of the state's agricultural water supply, or about 3.5 million acre feet. That's enough water to supply the domestic needs of the Los Angeles Basin and metropolitan San Diego combined - about 75 percent of the state's population. Coalition response... Krieger seeks to portray farmers as a villain, but despite her efforts, the fact is California's farmers just don't fit the part. California's 80,000 farms are almost all (96%) family run businesses, & almond farmers are no different. Growing almonds in the San Joaquin Valley actually does make a lot of sense, & they have been grown there for more than 100 years. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the few places in the world where good soil & a favorable climate have come together to allow for incredibly efficient production of a crop the markets demand. Almond farmers have invested heavily in tailoring their farms to grow almonds. From the equipment they buy to the skills they practice, this focus on specialization ensures they are the best at what they do. Far from being a water-wasting crop, almonds are as efficient as the row crops once extensively criticized by environmentalists. The real villains for Krieger this time seem to be the countless professional scientists, engineers, hydrologists, policy professionals, & water managers who came together to find ways to mend what was truly a broken water system during our last major drought with the Monterey Agreement. The agreement is truly that, an understanding that brought diverse parties together. It increased flexibility in water storage, improved urban access to more secure water supplies, & reduced the red tape involved in transferring water where needed. In addition, it arranged for a trade. In exchange for precious water rights, the local, public agencies responsible for daily coordination of water deliveries took over control of the Kern Fan property owned by DWR. These local experts would later turn that property into what is now part of the successful Kern Water Bank.

Other News

Drought

How California Farmers Are Dealing With the Drought   From: Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg Television Bloomberg's Alan Bjerga reports on California's drought and how different areas of the state are dealing with it. He speaks with Mark Crumpton on "Bottom Line."

Running On Empty: Our Epic Drought From: Staff, CBS LA, KNX 1070 [Below are a series of food and agriculture related radio segments being run on KNX in Los Angeles.  Click the link above to browse the full list of segments. You can follow the conversation on twitter: #KNXDrought] Running On Empty: Ice Cream Running On Empty: Food Prices Running On Empty: California Grocers Association's Dave Heylen Running On Empty: Who's Watching The Water? Running On Empty: Two Farmers

West's drought leads to rising prices, shrinking lakes   From: Paul Vercammen, CNN With water sources drying up, farmers are looking for underground springs to support their livelihoods. Steve Arthur works in California's San Joaquin Valley, drilling for water wells on drought-ravaged farms and ranches. "It's just going crazy; people are starting to panic," said Arthur, the owner of Arthur & Orum Well Drilling Inc.

Groundwater

EDITORIAL: Stanislaus County officials finally responding to water crisis From: Staff, Modesto Bee This week, Stanislaus County's leaders and officials have shown more initiative, more compassion and more willingness to help residents than we've seen since the start of our drought and ensuing groundwater crisis.

Groundwater Depletion in Colorado River Basin Poses Big Risk to Water Security From: Sandra Postel, National Geographic Let's step back for a minute and consider the implications of the study released last week on the depletion of groundwater in the Colorado River Basin. For anyone concerned about the future of the American West, the findings of this study - which was published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and conducted by a team of scientists from NASA, the University of California-Irvine, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado-can make the heart pound.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Delta tunnel plan called a fish death sentence by key group   From: Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle The state's plan to build a pair of 35-mile tunnels under the delta would cause the extinction of winter-run chinook salmon, steep declines in dozens of other species and devastate water quality in San Francisco Bay, an environmental group said Wednesday.

Water Supply

California Bill May Jeopardize Water Supply From: Eric Thomas, KABC 7 A controversial bill that could impact where millions of people in the Bay Area get their water is moving its way through Sacramento. The changes are proposed along a stretch of the Mokelumne River in the Sierra foothills. That river provides millions of homes with drinking water from the mountains to the Central Valley and the East Bay. Some people are wondering if a move to save the river could leave others high and dry.

LETTER: Water picture is blurry   From: Rebecca Thompson, Fresno Bee It was with great interest I read the article and editorial on water usage in Fresno. The 20% drop in per capita water usage since the installation of water meters in Fresno is commendable. However, the current Fresno per capita water usage of 240 gallons exceeds the state average of 196 gallons and the United States Geological Survey national average of 100 gallons.

Fisheries

Salmon will only get more water if die-off starts   From: Jeff Barnard, Associated Press A federal agency said Wednesday it will release extra water into Northern California's Klamath and Trinity rivers once salmon start dying from drought-related disease, but not before. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Louis Moore said from Sacramento, California, that the decision came under terms of a 2012 emergency water plan, and after consulting with tribes, irrigators and other agencies.

News, Articles, and Links from June 13, 2014

Lawsuit targets Delta water shipments

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record Environmentalists sued Wednesday to block proposed water transfers from Northern California to the drought-plagued south San Joaquin Valley, arguing that the plan fails to protect the fragile Delta. Under the federal government's plan, willing sellers in the north would allow water to flow down the Sacramento River into the Delta, where the giant export pumps near Tracy would deliver it to southland farms, where very little water is available this summer. Coalition response... The State Water Resources Control Board, in typical deliberate fashion, consulted with experts at the US Fish and Wildlife Service when making it's decision to rebalance Delta flow standards this year.  The experts at USFWS acknowledged that water transfers would occur this year and that they posed no threat to Delta smelt.

   Other News

Drought

Can California Conserve Its Way Through Drought? From: Brian Howard, National Geographic     From: Alex Breitler, Stockton RecordEnvironmentalists sued Wednesday to block proposed water transfers from Northern California to the drought-plagued south San Joaquin Valley, arguing that the plan fails to protect the fragile Delta. Under the federal government's plan, willing sellers in the north would allow water to flow down the Sacramento River into the Delta, where the giant export pumps near Tracy would deliver it to southland farms, where very little water is available this summer. Coalition response... The State Water Resources Control Board, in typical deliberate fashion, consulted with experts at the US Fish and Wildlife Service when making it's decision to rebalance Delta flow standards this year.  The experts at USFWS acknowledged that water transfers would occur this year and that they posed no threat to Delta smelt. As California enters the hottest months of the summer in the midst of a devastating drought, the state appears to be falling short of Governor Jerry Brown's calls for sweeping cuts in water use. In January, Brown declared a state of drought emergency and called on Californians to slash water consumption by 20 percent this year. Three months later, he stressed that "the driest months are still to come in California and extreme drought conditions will get worse."

Report: California's water savings untapped From: Antoine Abou-Diwan, Imperial Valley Press  California can come up with more than enough water to fulfill its cities' needs by implementing municipal and agricultural efficiency measures, recycling wastewater and capturing storm runoff, according to a report published recently. Some 14 million acre-feet of water - more than twice the water deficit that the state runs every year - can be saved if agencies statewide implement aggressive water management and conservation measures, according to the Pacific Institute and the natural Resources Defense Council.

Valley Drought 2014: Citrus Trees Being Yanked Out From: Rich Rodriguez, KMPHThousands of acres of almond trees have been dozed over on the Valley's Westside due to the drought and now the same thing is happening to citrus groves on the Eastside.  Thursday grower Lee Bailey watched as a bulldozer pushed over 12 acres of orange trees near Orange Cove. Bailey farms the grove for two nieces.  He says they pulled them out for a number of reasons.  "We've had to pick some lots with low production and this is some of them and we're pushing out two different blocks." Bailey says they spent 100-thousand dollars for extra water and the gamble didn't pay off.  To make matters worse the oranges on the trees pushed out were frozen in October and the fruit wasn't good enough to be salvaged for juice

News articles and links from June 12, 2014

Environmentalists urge conservation as Calif. lawmakers bicker over drought From: Sharon Bernstein, Reuters Drought-stricken California could increase its water supply by a third by reusing water that would otherwise go down the drain and saving storm runoff, environmentalists said on Tuesday amid wrangling over the state's response to dry conditions. Report: Calif. could save plenty of water by recycling and conserving and storing rainwater runoff From: Raju Chebium, Gannett Washington    California could save more water than what its cities use in a year by ramping up its conservation and recycling programs and storing rain water instead of letting it run off into the Pacific Ocean, according to a report released Tuesday.

BLOG: Dueling Drought Strategies: Save More Water or Store More Water From: Lauren Sommer, KQED There's no doubt that in California, water is in short supply this year. How to avoid the same situation when the next drought descends is, on the other hand, a matter of debate. Two competing camps have emerged about how to boost California's water supplies during dry times: conserve more water or build more water storage.

Water-saving techniques should be taught to farmers, study urges From: J.N. Sbranti, Modesto Bee Farmers need to be more water efficient, and government funds should be used to help train them how, according to a new study.

The Coalition issued the following response to the above articles

Coalition response... Beware offers of easy money, rapid weight loss, and simple California water solutions. Environmental interest groups, like Pacific Institute and NRDC have sought for years to sell the public a message of vast waste, which when eliminated - will solve our every water woe. Unfortunately, this report is more of the same. Previous research on which agricultural water conservation potential in this report was soundly dismissed by leading agricultural researchers in 2009. There simply isn't 5 million acre-feet of water being wasted by the farmers growing our food and fiber. Where appropriate, and as feasible, California's farmers are already investing in drip and precision irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, and irrigation scheduling. From 2003 through 2013 California farmers have invested about $3 billion upgrading the irrigation systems on almost 2.5 million acres. Farmers are also intelligently selecting furrow irrigation, which, when coupled with laser leveling, adept irrigation practices, and careful monitoring has been proven by irrigation researchers to be highly efficient. Growers choose their irrigation methods based on the crop, the terrain, the geology, as well as economics. They manage that water to ensure optimal plant health, food and fiber productivity, as well as cost. The water problems facing our state demand serious solutions.

Report: State can conserve much more water From: Seth Nidever, Hanford Sentinel How do you solve California's water problem? Enhance water efficiency on the farm and in the home, capture more urban stormwater and reuse it, according to a report released Tuesday by the Bay Area-based Pacific Institute. The potential is there to save up to 14 million additional acre-feet - more than the annual use of all California cities combined, according to the study, which was conducted jointly with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Coalition response... Leading irrigation researchers categorically refuted the conservation potentials research this report is based on. There simply isn't 5 million acre-feet of water being wasted by the farmers growing our food and fiber. California's farmers will continue investing in improving the efficiency of their irrigation, as they have long recognized the plant health and productivity benefits.

Other News

Water Transfers

Environmental lawsuit filed to stop water transfer package From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise Record A lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal District Court for the Eastern District of California against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, stating a proposed package of San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority transfers require a full environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. Sending water from Northern California to other parts of the state has to stop, at least long enough for an environmental review of the long-term impacts, said Barbara Vlamis of Chico's AquAlliance.

Lawsuit targets Delta water shipments From: Alex Breitler, Stockton RecordEnvironmentalists sued Wednesday to block proposed water transfers from Northern California to the drought-plagued south San Joaquin Valley, arguing that the plan fails to protect the fragile Delta. Under the federal government's plan, willing sellers in the north would allow water to flow down the Sacramento River into the Delta, where the giant export pumps near Tracy would deliver it to southland farms, where very little water is available this summer.

Water Supply

Patterson Irrigation District to face water crisis by state's proposed curtailments From: Brooke Borba, Patterson IrrigatorDrought conditions have reached a new plateau this year, urging the State Water Resources Control Board to consider declaring a state of emergency at their next board meeting on June 17 and 18. As a result, the State Water Board is considering curtailing senior water rights holders in Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley River such as Patterson Irrigation District, which could pose problems for over 700 local landowners and growers alike.

Drought Outlook: 'Disastrous Consequences' If 2015 Is Dry From: Craig Miller, KQEDThe assertion in a new report on California's long-term water woes likely comes as no surprise to most Californians: "A dry 2015 would have disastrous consequences for agencies and sectors up and down the state." That ominous prediction is part of a "drought action report" released this week by the Association of California Water Agencies, whose members manage about 90 percent of Californians' water. The document attempts to identify key vulnerabilities to the state's water system and offers recommendations that its authors say could stave off the worst impacts of a protracted drought.

Water Rights

Discussion on 100-year-old water rights delayed until July From: J.N. Sbranti, Merced Sun-StarThe State Water Resources Control Board will push back its discussion of curtailing 100-year-old water rights to July 1. The board planned to bring up the controversial issue at its meeting next week, but apparently its staff needs more time to prepare. "Our Division of Water Rights has had a number of responsibilities, including issuing curtailment letters to various watersheds, so has been very busy these past several weeks," Kathie Smith, a spokesperson for the board, explained Wednesday. "We just needed some more time to get language ready for the hearing, so it was rescheduled. These things happen."

San Joaquin River   OPINION: Why I'm planning to kayak (and walk) America's 'most endangered' river From: John Sutter, CNNIn California, water flows uphill toward money and power. That's a well-known maxim out here, especially in the Dust-Bowl-ready Central Valley -- that forgotten stretch of California that grows 40% of U.S. fruits, nuts and other table foods. Meet a few people and it's easy to see why.

News articles and links from March 20, 2014

Drought 

House panel meeting in Fresno hears emotional impact of Calif. drought From: Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee Larry Starrh's voice choked with emotion Wednesday as he told congressional members of his family's decision to dry up 1,000 acres of almonds this year and let the trees die due to water shortages. "Shortages that were created and controlled by regulations that have been imposed and brandished like weapons," the Kern County farmer said. "Sadly, in the real world, water is about power, water is a weapon, water is a hostage."

Few farmers immune to impact of epic California drought From: Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee When spring arrives, the Central Valley farm fields owned by Harris Ranch normally come to life with tomatoes, lettuce and watermelons. This year, much of the land has been left dry and bare. California's epic drought is being felt all over rural California, from small family farms to agribusiness giants such as Harris. Growers are fallowing land, tapping expensive groundwater and rationing supplies to keep their orchards and vineyards alive. This downshift will cost the state billions of dollars in lost economic activity and translate into higher food prices for consumers.

Fallowed farmland acreage estimate jumps to 800,000 From: Staff, Western Farm Press The California Farm Water Coalition has upgraded its estimate of acres farmers will leave idle this year to 800,000, up from 500,000, because of a lack of water.  "Farmers are still waiting to the last minute to determine their planting schedules this year in hopes that the water situation will improve," said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.

Why California's Drought Impacts Every American Who Buys Food From: Terrell Johnson, The Weather Channel Prices for meat, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables and a wide range of other foods shot up last month, the federal government reported Tuesday, thanks largely to the searing drought that has gripped the western United States for months on end. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said food prices rose 0.4 percent between January and February in a report released Tuesday, which follows an earlier report by the Department of Agriculture that said food prices are expected to rise 2.5 to 3.5 percent this year over 2013 levels.

Representatives call for more Valley water, storage  From: Staff, The Business Journal A congressional committee met at a full Fresno City Hall on Wednesday, taking up California's drought crisis and calling for freeing up more water and the construction of large reservoirs and dams. The House Natural Resources Committee heard testimony from Central Valley farmers, community leaders and state water officials. Many speakers at the hearing titled "California Water Crisis and its Impacts: The Need for Immediate and Long-Term Solutions," took sharp aim at the environmental community for becoming extreme and one-sided in its approach to water.

California hosts congressional drought hearing From: Scott Smith, AP Farmers holding signs protesting dramatic cuts to their irrigation supplies packed Fresno City Hall for a congressional hearing Wednesday, delving into the politics of California's drought crisis striking the state's agricultural heartland. Visalia farmer Michael Malmgren's sign had the words "Water is the heart of the matter," surrounding a big, pink heart.

BLOG: VIDEO: Jerry Brown talks drought at agriculture event From: Christopher Cadelago, Capitol Alert Blog Gov. Jerry Brown touched on California's worsening water shortage Wednesday in brief remarks to representatives from the state's agriculture community. "We're doing everything we can to respond to the drought," Brown said outside the state Capitol as the California Department of Food and Agriculture hosted its annual Ag Day. "We've got to emphasize water conservation, and water recycling and managing the water."  Water Storage  Citing California drought, Garamendi and LaMalfa push Sites Reservoir bill From: Jeremy White, Sacramento Bee In a rare moment of unity for two ideological antagonists, Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, on Wednesday unveiled legislation to build a new large-scale reservoir in Northern California. "There's a world of hurt in these fields and in the orchards around us because we failed in the past to prepare for the inevitable drought," Garamendi said, gesturing to fields bordered by the slow-flowing Glenn-Colusa canal. Congressmen seek momentum to build new reservoir north of Sac From: Staff, KCRA 3 Two members of California's congressional delegation on Wednesday called for building a new reservoir north of Sacramento, displaying bipartisan agreement on one potential solution to California's long-term water problems. Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa held a news conference near the location of the proposed reservoir to announce their bill. It calls for accelerating an existing federal feasibility study to authorize construction of the Sites Reservoir in a valley near Maxwell, about an hour's drive north of the state capital. They hope construction can start by 2015. 2 congressmen seek momentum to build new reservoir From: Fenit Nirappil, AP Two members of California's congressional delegation are displaying bipartisan agreement on one potential solution to California's water problems by promoting legislation to study the cost of building a reservoir north of Sacramento. Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa held a news conference Wednesday near the location of the proposed reservoir to announce their bill. It calls for a federal study on the costs of building the Sites Reservoir in a valley near Maxwell, about an hour's drive north of the state capital. Transfers Water battle: Judge halts local water exports From: John Lindt, Visalia Times-Delta Tulare County Superior Court Judge H.N. Papadakis this week granted an injunction sought by Lower Tule River Irrigation District against Sandridge Partners to halt any appropriation of Lower Tule groundwater to property not in the district. Sandridge acquired farm property in the district west of Porterville in 2012 but grew no crops on it in 2013. Food News  Valley Asparagus Growers Struggle To Compete From: Rich Ibarra, Capital Public Radio Asparagus is coming up in the Delta, but cheaper imports make it too expensive to harvest. Prices at the supermarket have seldom been lower, even dropping to 99-cents a pound, this makes it harder and harder for Delta farmers to compete. How California's drought is changing organic milk and honey From: Hoda Emam, San Jose Mercury News The milk that you think is organic, isn't. Not really. Blame the California drought, which has dried up the grass that gives farmers the right to slap the label "organic" on their meat and milk. It's not hard to win that label from the US department of agriculture: farmers just have to make sure that their cows graze on local grass, at least four months out of the year.

News articles and links from January 27, 2014

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

OPINION: Better solutions for managing California's water

From: Barbara Barrigan-Parilla, Sacramento Bee

During the current drought, the public will hear a lot about water management in California. Unfortunately, Californians are being presented with a false dichotomy - that California's water problems are about fish vs. people. It's what large corporate agribusinesses from the Westlands Water District and Kern County Water Agency have been pushing on the public since 2009. While we agree with these opposing groups that we have a water management problem that is harming everyday people, the facts show that the causes and solutions are different than what they claim.

Coalition response... Pointing out unemployment statistics on the San Joaquin Valley's Westside and then calling for more land retirement is illogical nonsense at its worst. About 35,000 residents in the communities of Firebaugh, Huron, San Joaquin and Mendota depend on farm jobs that reliable water supplies bring. Does Restore the Delta have a plan for these displaced workers and are there a legislators in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. that want their names associated with it? I doubt it.

Water Supply

Farm water leaders ready for bad news next month

From: Eric Zamora, Fresno Bee

Federal water leaders Friday painted a dire picture for California's water managers -- key reservoirs down to 58% of average and Sierra watersheds with less than 15% of expected rain and snow at this point.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation made a presentation at the annual regional water-users gathering in Reno. After two below-average winters and a record-setting dry spell this winter, conservation was the urgent message.

Drought

From: Michael Doyle, Sacramento Bee; Modesto Bee; Merced Sun-Star; Fresno Bee

The California drought will soon expose the geographic, political, personal and institutional divisions that complicate meaningful congressional action.

Forget farmers versus environmentalists, that classic California plot. These divisions go deeper, and could easily kill the legislative fixes House Republicans vowed to make at a Bakersfield-area farm last week.

EDITORIAL: Sen. Dianne Feinstein must step up and lead on drought

From: Staff, Fresno Bee

Citizens all over the United States count on their lawmakers to pull together and come up with solutions in times of crisis. Whether it's a devastating hurricane, earthquake or wildfire, we look to these leaders to make the case for relief funding and to navigate the bureaucratic mazes in our state capitols and Washington, D.C.

With California in the midst of a drought, the responsibility for action rests largely on the shoulders of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein as she has a record of working in bipartisan fashion and has been highly involved in water issues since her election in 1992.

Salinas Valley farmers wise, efficient at water use

From: Norm Groot, Salinas Californian

Salinas Valley growers have created a unique situation here for a water supply solution: release water from reservoirs on a year-round basis to allow for percolation to the groundwater basin, thus causing recharge for the water pumped for irrigation purposes. This is an effective and efficient solution to providing water to one of the best farming regions in the world.

Dry days, sleepless nights for farmers

From: Reed Fujii, Stockton Record

With 2013 San Joaquin County's driest year on record, and January - typically one of the highest rain months - coming to an end with no measurable rain, area farmers are increasingly worried.

The drought has already taken a heavy toll on those who depend on fall rains, mostly ranchers whose grazing animals can't find feed on the dry, brown pastures. But even farmers with sources of irrigation, whether well water or available surface water, are facing higher costs and mineral buildup in the soil.

Drought: Hardship or catastrophe?

From: Dennis Taylor, Salinas Californian

There's a waterless cloud hanging over the Salinas Valley this winter - a likely harbinger of a hard, bleached summer to come.

When it comes to drought in the Salinas Valley, no one wants to be an alarmist. Words are chosen carefully. Everyone seems stoic and reminds one other often that they've been through it before and survived. And the most common refrain in the agricultural community these days: "We still have two months left in the rainy season."

California drought: Past dry periods have lasted more than 200 years, scientists say

From: Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News

California's current drought is being billed as the driest period in the state's recorded rainfall history. But scientists who study the West's long-term climate patterns say the state has been parched for much longer stretches before that 163-year historical period began.

And they worry that the "megadroughts" typical of California's earlier history could come again.

California drought has ranchers selling cattle

From: Jason Dearen, San Francisco Chronicle

In January, business at the 101 Livestock Market's cattle auction on California's Central Coast is usually slow. The busy season is normally in June or July, when ranchers have had time to fatten their animals for weeks on spring grasses. This year, however, business is bustling, with packed pens of moaning cattle and cowboys standing on tip-toe to get a glance at their potential prizes.

Because of historically dry conditions, California's soil moisture - a key ingredient for the forage that cattle graze on - is low throughout the state. With feed costs high and weeks of dry weather in the forecast, ranchers are already selling off parts of their herds as normally green grazing pastures have turned brown.

Cattle ranchers feel brunt of the drought; some fear costs will triple

From: Edward Ortiz, Sacramento Bee

It's easy to see how harshly drought has visited Stanley Van Vleck's 10,000-acre cattle ranch. In all directions, across plain and foothill, the landscape is colored sickly brown.

Winter is normally the time that California ranchers rely on the rain to turn the grass green, providing food for cattle that roam the hillsides. This year, though, there is no green grass to be found on Van Vleck's sprawling ranch south of Highway 16 near Rancho Murieta.

Transfers

OPINION: Drought, greed put groundwater at risk

From: Jim Brobeck, Redding Record-Searchlight; Chico Enterprise-Record

California's climate is highly variable. In the not-too-distant past, century-long droughts tested the resilience of Central Valley ecosystems and native culture: 892-1112 AD and 1209-1350 AD.

However, the last 150 years have been abnormally wet. Had 20th-century agencies and entrepreneurs been aware of California's arid average, it is unlikely they would have invested so much treasure in building dams and canals to develop desert agriculture and grassy municipalities.

Groundwater

OPINION: Dry conditions make replenishing the aquifer more of a challenge

From: Staff, Desert Sun

Thanks to a record-breaking drought, fire season never ended in California. January is usually a slow month for firefighters, but that isn't the case this year. Cal Fire responded to nearly 300 fires this month. Last January? Zero.

Gov. Jerry Brown's declaration of a drought emergency sheds an even stronger light on the challenges in our desert. The Coachella Valley may be used to dry weather, but we're affected by the drought. As Coachella Valley Water District board President John Powell Jr. puts it, we're in a perpetual state of drought. Palm Springs averages about 5.5 inches of rain a year, and it doesn't look like we'll come close to that this year.

Fisheries

California drought threatens coho salmon with extinction

From: Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle

The lack of rain this winter could eventually be disastrous for thirsty California, but the drought may have already ravaged some of the most storied salmon runs on the West Coast.

The coho salmon of Central California, which swim up the rivers and creeks during the first winter rains, are stranded in the ocean waiting for the surge of water that signals the beginning of their annual migration, but it may never come.