California Drought

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California Drought

California
California pushes ahead with $16 billion water project — one of the most contentious in history
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the 45-mile tunnel is vital to protecting water supplies amid climate change, though opponents see it as a water grab. By Kurtis Alexander
Climate
California officials warn of potentially low water supplies next year
State Water Project officials are projecting that reservoirs next year will provide just 10% of the water requested by urban and agricultural suppliers. By Kurtis Alexander
Weather
These maps rank every California neighborhood by extreme weather
These maps show which parts of California are most vulnerable to extreme weather events, based on data compiled by Texas A&M University. By Harsha Devulapalli, Jack Lee
California
California’s drought is over, but forests are still dying. What’s happening?
A third or more of the trees in parts of the Lake Tahoe area have died over the past year, a catastrophic toll that reflects the continuing effects of climate change and drought, even as rain returns. By Kurtis Alexander
Weather
Maps show California’s remarkable drought recovery. Here’s what comes next
Meteorologist Gerry Díaz and data reporter Jack Lee take a look back at California’s remarkable drought recovery, and share what experts predict comes next. By Gerry Díaz, Jack Lee
Climate
Newsom accelerates plans for California’s largest reservoir in nearly 50 years
The Sites Reservoir in Northern California marks the first project to be expedited under the Legislature’s new infrastructure-streamlining package. By Kurtis Alexander
Bay Area
Why Bay Area groundwater rebounded faster than elsewhere in California after winter storms
California aquifers have been worn down by drought and overpumping. But there’s good news in the latest numbers, especially in the Bay Area. By Clare Fonstein
Climate
Chronicle reporter wins California water reporting award
Longtime Chronicle staff writer Kurtis Alexander wins the award for the breadth and depth of his reporting. By Kate Galbraith
Climate
California’s groundwater supplies rose after winter storms. Now we know how much
New state data shows that many parts of California saw groundwater levels rise with the historically wet winter, but not enough to make up for decades of overpumping. By Kurtis Alexander
California
A historic California species is in imminent danger of extinction. A huge effort just launched to...
Scientists have fanned out across creeks in the Sacramento River basin to capture threatened spring-run salmon and protect the fish by establishing a captive stock. By Kurtis Alexander
Climate
Where do California reservoirs stand after ‘miracle’ water year? Here’s the data
California’s bountiful water year ended with precipitation, reservoir levels and snowpack all far above average levels. Here’s where things stand. By Danielle Echeverria
California
California will soon require many cities to significantly cut water use. Here are the details
As part of a plan to address long-term water scarcity, California water regulators are proposing sweeping cuts for many parts of the state. By Kurtis Alexander
Weather
California drought: How Hilary’s historic rains impacted most parched cities
Rains from Tropical Storm Hilary helped improve drought conditions across Southern California. Meteorologist Anthony Edwards explains the last time this much of California was drought free. By Anthony Edwards
Climate
The Big Melt transformed California. These maps and graphics show exactly how
California's epic snowpack unleashed a torrent of melting snow. It's fundamentally changing a state gripped by years of drought. By Kurtis Alexander, Guy Wathen, Carlos Avila Gonzalez
Health
Valley fever: Why the fungal disease is spreading into Northern California
Valley fever, a respiratory disease spread by fungal spores that grow in soil, is moving northward in California’s San Joaquin Valley due to climate change. By Gabe Castro-Root
Climate
Most major California reservoirs are over 90% full. But there’s one big exception
While more than two-thirds of California’s major water supply reservoirs are more than 90% full as the state’s record snowpack continues to melt off, the third largest is still below 60%. By Danielle Echeverria
Climate
Two of California's largest reservoirs are near 100% capacity. Here's where others stand
Runoff from California’s record snowpack is flowing into reservoirs — and two of the state’s largest are almost completely full. By Danielle Echeverria
Climate
Rights to California’s most important resource are built on injustice. New legislation seeks to...
Three bills advancing in the state Legislature would give regulators more control over California’s most privileged water users. By Kurtis Alexander
Bay Area
Storms replenished California’s reservoirs. So why are Bay Area water bills about to soar?
Water rate hikes proposed in San Francisco and the East Bay would help fund billions in improvements to water systems that carry supplies from the Sierra Nevada to the Bay. By Kurtis Alexander
Climate
S.F.’s legendary Hetch Hetchy Reservoir turns 100 this month. What’s in store for the next century?
Hetch Hetchy, alternately viewed as a “marvel of engineering” and an abomination of nature, has stored water for San Francisco for a century. Here’s what comes next. By Claire Hao
Climate
S.F. Bay is no longer an environmental disaster. Here’s what drove incredible transformation
Cold, fresh water from rain and snowmelt are filling San Francisco Bay. It’s great for the water and its wildlife and will probably prevent another huge algae bloom this summer. By Tara Duggan
Climate
California’s catastrophic three-year drought might have had a surprising trigger
New research suggests that Australia’s massive wildfires hastened development of La Niña and helped trigger California’s terrible three-year drought. By Kurtis Alexander
Climate
Here’s where California reservoir levels stand after this week’s rain showers
California’s early May light rain added some water to the state’s already very full reservoirs, but its impact was small compared to the deluge the reservoirs have gotten over the last few months. By Danielle Echeverria
Climate
‘Completely different’: Here’s how huge Yosemite’s waterfalls are this year
Fed by snowmelt, Yosemite’s mighty waterfalls are peaking, with more than three times as much water as last spring. By Kurtis Alexander
California
In massive turnabout, California, feds to deliver 100% of requested water supplies to cities and...
The state and federal government will send cities and farms all the water they requested for the first time in quite a while. It’s a staggering change from last year, when cities and farms got very little. By Kurtis Alexander
Climate
Less than 10% of California now in drought
It’s a massive turnaround from a year ago, when the entire state was in drought. By Kate Galbraith
Bay Area
‘Fear and panic’ in California fishing community after salmon season closed
California’s epic rains have not yet revived salmon runs, and the fishing community called for speedy federal relief at a press conference that included U.S. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. By Claire Hao
Climate
California’s near-record snowpack isn’t all good news. Here’s why
Not since 1951-52, when winter storms famously trapped a luxury train near Donner Pass, has California seen so much snow. By Kurtis Alexander
California
Millions of trees have died in California forests. This map shows the hardest-hit areas
The latest aerial survey by the U.S. Forest Service shows more than 36 million tree deaths across the state, with nearly a fifth of them in the Tahoe region. By Jenny Kwon
Climate
Latest round of storms lifts entire Bay Area out of drought
California’s latest round of storms has lifted the last corners of the San Francisco Bay Area out of drought. By Kate Galbraith
Climate
‘We’re looking really, really good’: Bay Area water agencies end water restrictions, drought...
California’s wet winter has shored up water supplies across most of the state and prompted utilities to ease restrictions on customers. By Kurtis Alexander
Climate
California water allocations soar as Newsom rolls back drought measures
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the huge state system that supplies water to many cities and farms will now provide 75% of requested amounts, a huge jump from the 5% provided over the last two years. By Claire Hao
Climate
Here’s where California reservoir levels stand after latest round of rain
Where do California’s reservoir levels stand after this month’s heavy rain? These charts show how much they have risen versus historic averages. By Danielle Echeverria
Climate
Here’s how much California’s drought continues to improve
California’s stubborn three-year drought is washing away under the barrage of storms that have pummeled the state with rain and snow. By Kate Galbraith
Climate
Commercial salmon fishing closed in California for third time ever
Despite the state’s abundant rain, the current fishable salmon were born during the drought, and there aren't many of them. By Claire Hao

Updated drought tracker

Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area

Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Area’s largest water districts.