As California's drought drags on, officials are cracking down on thieves who wrench open fire hydrants and ignore or tamper with meters to access one of the state's precious commodities — water. In some cases, wells dry up and scofflaws start stealing water from hydrants. In other cases, trucks in need of water for dust
Dread over the water shortage in California has grown to the point that at least half the state’s residents are willing to relax environmental regulations and allow construction of water supply facilities in federal parkland, a statewide Field Poll has revealed. The paltry rain and snow this winter is considered a serious problem by the
Regulators in California, the country's third-largest oil-producing state, have authorized oil companies to inject production fluids and waste into what are now federally protected aquifers more than 2,500 times, risking contamination of underground water supplies that could be used for drinking water or irrigation, state records show. While some of the permits go back decades,
Almonds cover 20,000 acres of Kings County land, but when you drive by the orchards, do you think much about what is required to grow almonds? A surprising number of consumers do, and it’s driving a debate about almonds that has critics levying accusations and the industry — growers included — fighting back. The backdrop
California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—and climate change seems to be a major factor. The number of trees larger than two feet in diameter has declined by 50 percent on more than 46,000 square
A local demonstration project announced Tuesday would treat up to 136,500 gallons per day of oil field wastewater for reuse in agriculture and steam-based well stimulation. OriginOil Inc., the Los Angeles-based developer of "Electro Water Separation," said it has partnered with Bakersfield oil producer Vaquero Energy Inc. to install a pair of facilities treating "produced
State regulators are scrutinizing more than 100 Kern County injection wells that if closed, as federal officials warn may be warranted, could force local oil companies to decide between cutting production and finding a new destination for several billion gallons of wastewater per year. A few of the wells inject steam to aid in oil
California's drought crept in slowly, but it could end with a torrent of winter storms that stream across the Pacific, dumping much of the year's rain and snow in a few fast-moving and potentially catastrophic downpours. Powerful storms known as atmospheric rivers, ribbons of water vapor that extend for thousands of miles, pulling moisture from
With populations of numerous endangered Delta fish species at alarming lows, officials in California are planning a number of steps to help them survive if 2015 proves to be a fourth drought year. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife last week released the results of its annual fall population survey for five key fish species
Based on the Dept. of Water Resources' (DWR) first snow survey being under the weather, the interagency state-federal drought emergency team released its 2015 operations plan Thursday night to little notice. The plan cites very dry conditions and low storage, with multiple competing needs that cannot be met at this point. Goals are: 1. Operate