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The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian

Watered down

Amid the worst drought in its history, California regulated the groundwater many of its residents and farms rely on. But the journey to sustainability will be a slow one, and stands to reshape the state forever

28 February 2020

  • Maria Olivera on her porch in Tooleville, about an hour southeast of Fresno, California, February 22nd, 2020. “The water here in unincorporated Tooleville is good enough for the potted plants that crowd her front porch, but it isn’t safe to drink. “ Tooleville has two community wells, but only one is in operation. “And in the summer there’s no pressure. But it hasn’t run out completely yet.”

    'Lost communities': thousands of wells in rural California may run dry

    Years of pumping, drought and a thirsty agriculture industry have taken a heavy toll on the water supply – and new plans are leaving vulnerable residents behind

27 February 2020

  • A canal running in-between agricultural fields in Del Rey, California, February 21st, 2020.

    Everything you need to know about California's historic water law

  • Nikiko Masumoto (left) with her father David Mas Masumoto (right) (he is holding tools he was using to graft tress in their orchard) on their family farm in Del Rey, where they organic grow peaches, nectarines, apricots and grapes, California, February 21st, 2020. With little precipitation since January, and the driest February in 150 years, the soil is drying out early. Masumoto is hurrying to plow the fields (weed mitigation) before the soil gets too dry for the plow.

    'Without water we can't grow anything': can small farms survive California's landmark water law?

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