California Water Data

A clutch of new data tools from Circle of Blue puts California’s water crisis into context.

california water use arsenic central valley choke point index circle of blue

Map © Jordan B. Bates and Aubrey Ann Parker / Circle of Blue
Infographic: California’s water withdrawals from 1985 to 2005, as well as information on population demographics and arsenic contamination in the Central Valley. Click image to enlarge.

As the most populous U.S. state enters the summer of 2014 in the throes of a ruinous drought, new data tools put California’s water crisis into context. An interactive dashboard shows current and historic reservoir levels and is updated daily. Arsenic contamination and water use data are plotted by zip code or county. And a high-resolution map illustrates the audacious canal system that binds the state together.

These tools are part of Choke Point: Index, an investigation into the condition of water resources in three essential American farm regions.

Infographic: California Drought In Motion — 10 Dry Years Animated GIF (2003-2014)

Infographic: Live and Historical Water Reservoir Volumes in California (1990-Present)

Infographic: Recent Droughts in California (2000-2014)

Map: California's Hydraulic Empire

Map: California’s Water Use Per County (1985-2005)

Map: Central Valley’s Arsenic Contamination (2006-2013)

Video: Google Fusion Tables Tutorial of California’s Water Data

Video: Qlikview Tutorial of Live and Historical Water Reservoir Volumes in California

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