Environment

California Drought

California is experiencing the worst drought in its history, and the effects are being felt nationwide. Thus water issues have taken center stage in much of our reporting and the nation's.As the New York Times says, "Water has long been a precious resource in California, the subject of battles pitting farmer against city-dweller and northern communities against southern ones; books and movies have been made about its scarcity and plunder. Water is central to the state’s identity and economy, and a symbol of how wealth and ingenuity have tamed nature ..."As we continue through a fourth year of extreme drought conditions, you'll find all of our reporting on the related issues (and that of NPR and other member stations) in this centralized place.

DWR Lifts Water Restrictions

North State Public Radio

Published April 22, 2016 at 9:02 AM PDT

Some good news for farmers — at least ones drawing state water. The Department of Water Resources is boosting this year’s allocations for those supplied by the State Water Project.

Allocations were bumped up to 60 percent of contracted amounts. That’s up from an initial 10 percent projected in December. Officials noted that while Southern California received unexceptional amounts of rain, storms have nearly filled reservoirs in the North State.

As of Wednesday morning, Lake Oroville stood at 94 percent of capacity — 118 percent of its historical average.

Water managers are acting conservatively, on concerns a possible La Niña, will bring a return of drought-like conditions.