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With Moisture Scarce, California Water Providers Turn to Economic Tools

California’s record drought prompts water districts to increase conservation spending, drain rainy day funds, and dramatically swell water rates.
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.
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.

Report: Water Is a Top-three Global Risk, Says World Economic Forum

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From climate change to food insecurity, water influences the planet’s most dangerous threats.

Study: Army Corps of Engineers Release Ways to Keep Asian Carp Out of Great Lakes

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Plans to stop the invasive fish are costly, and most take more than 10 years to complete.

Rio Tinto’s Michigan Nickel Mine Introduces Citizen Water Quality Testing Program

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Despite skepticism, company agrees to finance environmental monitoring at Eagle Mine