An overview map of the Central Valley project at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant, a federal facility which supplies water to the project's network of irrigation canals and reservoirs.

In Record Drought, California Scrambles for Answers

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President Obama urges cooperation. But Republican opposition and a maze of state plans are causing a frantic confusion, while vulnerable farmers see immediate and long-term pain.

Infographic: California Drought In Motion — 10 Dry Years Animated GIF (2003-2014)

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When layered, weekly images of the U.S. Drought Monitor for California show how much worse this drought is than any in the past decade.
A dry irrigation ditch on the edge of the historic Tulare Lake Basin in California's Central Valley. Photo by Matt Black

Obama Pledges Over $2 Billion for U.S. Drought Relief, Climate Adaptation

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The president announces $US 1.2 billion for those affected by severe weather now and proposes $US 1 billion more for adaptation and research.

Drought and Uncertainty Nurture U.S. Water-Planning Renaissance at State Level: 2014 Preview, Part III

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Seven states will release a water plan -- either in draft or final form -- this year, and at least six other states are talking about updating existing plans or creating a first-ever plan. For context, only two states released water plans in 2013 and five in 2012.

Special Interactive Briefing: California Drought

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Click here to register for this special interactive Maestro teleconference.
Seaguls from the coast fly far inland and into the dry landscape of California's Central Valley.

Drought Exposes Vulnerabilities in California Water Management

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California is poorly prepared for another severely dry year
John Burchard, General Manager of the Alpaugh Community Services District, walks a ditch bank on the outskirts of town. The small farmworker community in California's Central Valley suffers from high levels of arsenic and other contaminates in its drinking water.

New Era of Much Drier Conditions Forecast For California

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Federal and state agencies, communities and businesses not positioned well enough to respond, says new Circle of Blue report.

Two NASA Satellite Missions Fill Gaps in Water Knowledge: 2014 Preview, Part II

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From soil to stratosphere, scientific understanding of the water cycle will take a giant leap in 2014.

California, Texas, and the Southwestern U.S. Face a Critical Year for Water Supplies: 2014 Preview, Part I

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After a dry 2013, reservoirs are near record lows for the start of a calendar year, setting the table for widespread water restrictions, reduced agricultural and energy production, and political bickering in 2014.

California Drought Saps Water Reserves Above and Below Ground, Says Satellite Data

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Snow is scarce, reservoirs are approaching bottom, and groundwater is being exhausted in the nation’s most populous state. More than a dozen communities face water shortages in the next 60 to 100 days, and there will be zero water deliveries from the state’s largest canal system this year.
A worker inspects a valve in the Pleasant Valley Pumping Plant, a facility that supplies irrgation water to the Central Valley's vast Westlands Water District.

Infographic: West Virginia Chemical Spill Spreads to Ohio River

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Spill shut down drinking water for 300,000 people. Infographic…
A worker inspects a valve in the Pleasant Valley Pumping Plant, a facility that supplies irrgation water to the Central Valley's vast Westlands Water District.

Getting Off the Pipe

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In Metro L.A., Searching for Local Water.