Something’s got to give in Central Valley farming. The only question is what.
Drought
Posted inArticles
Will this desert community survive its water overdraft problem?
Borrego Springs, California, was founded on the promise of endless water. Now they must conserve — or else.
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Above normal snowpack in some of last winter’s driest regions
Precipitation in recent months chips away at California drought, but the water deficit will be hard to overcome.
Posted inFebruary 2, 2016: Sagebrush Insurgency
In ‘Gold Fame Citrus,’ the nascent genre of cli-fi looks to California
A new climate change novel predicts a dystopian West of sand and refugees.
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2015 wildfires burned a record-breaking 10.1 million acres
Fires in Alaska help to smash 2006 record.
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How the feds can ensure Western states get more water in 2016
Key legislation failed in 2015. Will this year be any different?
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California relocates residents whose wells have gone dry
Residents explain why the new drought program may or may not work for them.
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Is the West prepared for climate change?
A new report shows most states are vulnerable to future increases in extreme heat, drought, and flooding.
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Early season snowpack falls short across the West
Nevada and Idaho are the only Western states above their historic averages.
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Millions in debt, a community wonders if its water source will provide
This master-planned community must keep building to survive, despite the drought.
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It’s time to let Lake Powell go
In today’s ‘new normal,’ there is simply not enough water to maintain both Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
How a plan to save southeastern Colorado went off the rails
Heritage tourism offered a way out of economic doldrums. Why did it go wrong?
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
The tenuous revival of Mono Lake
Its defenders won a long fight over water with Los Angeles. Now, drought is raising new questions about its future.
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
Could Los Angeles design its way to water independence?
A pair of architects are reinvisioning the city’s relationship with water, starting with storm runoff.
Posted inNovember 23, 2015: Water Hustle
Water hustle
Did one of Nevada’s top water regulators try to cash in on the drought?
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Will a new state plan solve Colorado’s water troubles?
After years of growing scarcity and population pressure, Colorado finally has a plan of action.
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Innovation amid drought in the Sacramento Delta
Checking in with a farmer who traded some of his water for long term survival.
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Ranch Diaries: Spared from drought, for now, in New Mexico
Dry spells take a toll on landscapes and livestock, but are also hard on people.
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To save Washington’s Yakima Basin fish, just add water
A drought plan in one of the West’s most forward-thinking watersheds reconciles salmon and agriculture.
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Fresno, California, aims to recharge its dwindling groundwater
Surface water projects give groundwater a break, in the state’s fourth year of severe drought.