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President Obama Signs Bill to Continue Funding National Drought Warning System

The National Integrated Drought Information System puts federal data in the hands of farmers, state officials, and businesses.

Spending to Conserve Water on California Farms Will Not Increase Supply

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Benefits go to agriculture, but won’t help cities.

Governor Jerry Brown’s Response to California Drought Follows Two Paths

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The governor introduced a $US 687 million emergency spending bill Wednesday as his office works on comprehensive groundwater reform.

Water Expert Panel Discusses Causes and Implications of California Drought

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California’s severe drought is forcing the nation’s largest state to reconcile old assumptions about water supply and management with the reality of long-term drying trends, declining groundwater, and polluted drinking water, according to an expert panel of scientists and journalists convened during a Circle of Blue interactive drought briefing conference call on February 13.

With Moisture Scarce, California Water Providers Turn to Economic Tools

California’s record drought prompts water districts to increase conservation spending, drain rainy day funds, and dramatically swell water rates.

Snow Fail

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California’s drought is a preview of the latter half of the 21st century.
An overview map of the Central Valley project at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant, a federal facility which supplies water to the project's network of irrigation canals and reservoirs.

In Record Drought, California Scrambles for Answers

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President Obama urges cooperation. But Republican opposition and a maze of state plans are causing a frantic confusion, while vulnerable farmers see immediate and long-term pain.

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

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When layered, weekly images of the U.S. Drought Monitor for California show how much worse this drought is than any in the past decade.
A dry irrigation ditch on the edge of the historic Tulare Lake Basin in California's Central Valley. Photo by Matt Black

Obama Pledges Over $2 Billion for U.S. Drought Relief, Climate Adaptation

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The president announces $US 1.2 billion for those affected by severe weather now and proposes $US 1 billion more for adaptation and research.
Seaguls from the coast fly far inland and into the dry landscape of California's Central Valley.

Drought Exposes Vulnerabilities in California Water Management

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California is poorly prepared for another severely dry year

Peter Gleick: Learning from Drought: Five Priorities for California

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Droughts – especially severe droughts – are terribly damaging events. The human and ecosystem costs can be enormous, as we may relearn during the current California drought.

California, Texas, and the Southwestern U.S. Face a Critical Year for Water Supplies: 2014 Preview, Part I

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After a dry 2013, reservoirs are near record lows for the start of a calendar year, setting the table for widespread water restrictions, reduced agricultural and energy production, and political bickering in 2014.