Alarming Study Reveals California's Rapidly Declining Groundwater Basins
California Rules to Address Contaminated Groundwater Are Driving Farmers and Residents to Court
Farmers Look to Agave for Spirits to Help Weather Droughts and Reduce Groundwater Use
After the Deluge: Floods May Taint More Drinking Water in California
Rain Brings Little Relief to Californias Depleted Groundwater
Recent Storms Will Help in the Short Term, but California's Drought Is Still Far From Over
The Mad Rush for Groundwater in the Central Valley
A California Law Meant to Reduce the Exploitation of Aquifers Could Transform the Central Valley
Bay Area: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From?
Sponsored
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={"attachmentsReducer":{"audio_0":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_0","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"}}},"audio_1":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_1","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"}}},"audio_2":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_2","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"}}},"audio_3":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_3","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"}}},"audio_4":{"type":"attachments","id":"audio_4","imgSizes":{"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"}}},"placeholder":{"type":"attachments","id":"placeholder","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-160x96.jpg","width":160,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-800x478.jpg","width":800,"height":478,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1020x610.jpg","width":1020,"height":610,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-lrg":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1920x1148.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-med":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1180x705.jpg","width":1180,"height":705,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"fd-sm":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-960x574.jpg","width":960,"height":574,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xxsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-240x143.jpg","width":240,"height":143,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xsmall":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-375x224.jpg","width":375,"height":224,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"small":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-520x311.jpg","width":520,"height":311,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"xlarge":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1180x705.jpg","width":1180,"height":705,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-1920x1148.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-50x50.jpg","width":50,"height":50,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/GettyImages-896326950-e1514998105161.jpg","width":1920,"height":1148}}},"news_11973516":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11973516","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11973516","found":true},"title":"030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02 copy","publishDate":1706122495,"status":"inherit","parent":11973512,"modified":1706122560,"caption":"Farmland is irrigated near Mendota in the San Joaquin Valley on March 3, 2023.","credit":"Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local","altTag":"Sprinklers working in an agricultural field.","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-800x533.jpg","width":800,"height":533,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-1020x680.jpg","width":1020,"height":680,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-160x107.jpg","width":160,"height":107,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-1536x1024.jpg","width":1536,"height":1024,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy-1920x1280.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/030323-FarmLand-LV_CM_02-copy.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11970959":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11970959","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11970959","found":true},"title":"California Farming Water Pollution","publishDate":1703629461,"status":"inherit","parent":11970957,"modified":1703635354,"caption":"Ileana Miranda walks past a San Jerardo cooperative home in Salinas on Dec. 20, 2023. Some California farming communities have been plagued for years by problems with their drinking water due to nitrates and other contaminants in the groundwater that feeds their wells.","credit":"Jeff Chiu/AP","altTag":null,"description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-800x533.jpg","width":800,"height":533,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-1020x680.jpg","width":1020,"height":680,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-160x107.jpg","width":160,"height":107,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-1536x1024.jpg","width":1536,"height":1024,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-2048x1366.jpg","width":2048,"height":1366,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-1920x1280.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285477363-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11966483":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11966483","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11966483","found":true},"title":"Leo Ortega","publishDate":1699221252,"status":"inherit","parent":11966468,"modified":1699221327,"caption":"Leo Ortega and his wife walk around their property, surrounded by blue agave plants, in Murrieta, Riverside County, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Ortega started growing blue agave plants on the hillsides of his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked. Today, his property is littered with what some say could be a promising new crop for water-challenged California. ","credit":"Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo","altTag":"A man and a woman walk past a ridge full of agave plants.","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-800x533.jpg","width":800,"height":533,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-1020x680.jpg","width":1020,"height":680,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-160x107.jpg","width":160,"height":107,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-1536x1024.jpg","width":1536,"height":1024,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-2048x1365.jpg","width":2048,"height":1365,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-1920x1280.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/AP23303710708185-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11947262":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11947262","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11947262","found":true},"title":"Screenshot 2023-04-20 at 3.49.36 PM","publishDate":1682033277,"status":"inherit","parent":11947248,"modified":1682036667,"caption":"Orchards flooded in Madera County in January 2023 after storms. Rain flushes nitrates from nitrogen fertilizer into groundwater, contaminating drinking water wells.","credit":"Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local","altTag":"Rows of bare trees next to a puddle.","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-800x516.png","width":800,"height":516,"mimeType":"image/png"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-1020x658.png","width":1020,"height":658,"mimeType":"image/png"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-160x103.png","width":160,"height":103,"mimeType":"image/png"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-1536x991.png","width":1536,"height":991,"mimeType":"image/png"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-2048x1321.png","width":2048,"height":1321,"mimeType":"image/png"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-672x372.png","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/png"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-1038x576.png","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/png"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM-1920x1238.png","width":1920,"height":1238,"mimeType":"image/png"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-3.49.36-PM.png","width":2388,"height":1540}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11940352":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11940352","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11940352","found":true},"title":"Screen Shot 2023-02-07 at 11.08.37 AM","publishDate":1675797989,"status":"inherit","parent":11940344,"modified":1675815011,"caption":"The Savory basin outside of Fresno was built two years ago to refill the aquifer with captured stormwater. The Fresno district spent millions to buy farmland and create basins for percolating water underground to help meet the requirements of state groundwater management regulations.","credit":"Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local","altTag":"A body of water with trees in the background.","description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-800x526.png","width":800,"height":526,"mimeType":"image/png"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-1020x670.png","width":1020,"height":670,"mimeType":"image/png"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-160x105.png","width":160,"height":105,"mimeType":"image/png"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-1536x1009.png","width":1536,"height":1009,"mimeType":"image/png"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-2048x1345.png","width":2048,"height":1345,"mimeType":"image/png"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-672x372.png","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/png"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-1038x576.png","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/png"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM-1920x1261.png","width":1920,"height":1261,"mimeType":"image/png"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.08.37-AM.png","width":2384,"height":1566}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_10366483":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_10366483","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"10366483","found":true},"title":"Storm-Flood-Mill Valley","publishDate":1417656738,"status":"inherit","parent":0,"modified":1674155313,"caption":"A car stranded near flooded US 101 in Mill Valley after the storm last week.","credit":"Justin Sullivan/Getty Images","altTag":"A car submerged in water near safety markers.","description":"MILL VALLEY, CA - DECEMBER 03: A car sits partially submerged in water on a flooded section of roadway on December 3, 2014 in Mill Valley, California. The San Francisco Bay Area is being hit with its first major storm of the year that is bringing heavy rain, lightning and hail to the region. The heavy overnight rain has caused flooding which has blocked several roadways and caused severe traffic backups. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)","imgSizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-400x273.jpg","width":400,"height":273,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-800x546.jpg","width":800,"height":546,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-1440x984.jpg","width":1440,"height":984,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-32x32.jpg","width":32,"height":32,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-64x64.jpg","width":64,"height":64,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-96x96.jpg","width":96,"height":96,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-128x128.jpg","width":128,"height":128,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"detail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820-75x75.jpg","width":75,"height":75,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/12/459889820.jpg","width":3000,"height":2051}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11925441":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11925441","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11925441","found":true},"title":"water drilling","publishDate":1663027015,"status":"inherit","parent":11925400,"modified":1663184914,"caption":"Drilling supervisor Daniel Reese works on a water-drilling platform while his colleague looks on in the San Joaquin Valley.","credit":"Saul Gonzalez/KQED","altTag":"A drilling supervisor stands on a low platform of steel grids wearing blue jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt and a white helmet with an orange brim and a yellow sun-block cloth falling from the helmet to his shoulders. His hands are on a thick platform used for drilling for water. The platform has various tubes perpendicular and parallel to the ground. To the left of the image, stands a man in black jeans, a black short-sleeved t-shirt and a wide-brimmed hat. He's standing next to a platform that holds a row of pipes. Behind both men is a pile of dirt and a wooden fence. In the distant background are green trees under a cornflower sky.","description":"Drilling supervisor Daniel Reese works on a water drilling platform while his colleague looks on in the San Joaquin Valley.","imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-800x600.jpg","width":800,"height":600,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-1020x765.jpg","width":1020,"height":765,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-160x120.jpg","width":160,"height":120,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-1536x1152.jpg","width":1536,"height":1152,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"2048x2048":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-2048x1536.jpg","width":2048,"height":1536,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-1920x1440.jpg","width":1920,"height":1440,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/danielreese-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1920}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11891458":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11891458","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11891458","found":true},"title":"aquifer1","publishDate":1633647744,"status":"inherit","parent":11891401,"modified":1633656323,"caption":"The well at Esther Espinoza's house in Riverdale ran dry. A local nonprofit organization delivered a tank and fills it with water, but Espinoza worries that it's not a reliable water supply. Agricultural wells suck the water out from underneath smaller domestic wells, like the one at her house. But all that could change under SGMA.","credit":"Dan Charles/NPR","altTag":"Esther Espinoza stands outside next to a very large tank of water, which sits above the well.","description":"The well at Esther Espinoza's house in Riverdale ran dry. A local nonprofit organization delivered a tank and fills it with water, but Espinoza worries that it's not a reliable water supply.","imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer1-800x532.jpg","width":800,"height":532,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer1-1020x679.jpg","width":1020,"height":679,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer1-160x106.jpg","width":160,"height":106,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer1-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer1-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer1.jpg","width":1453,"height":967}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false},"news_11886547":{"type":"attachments","id":"news_11886547","meta":{"index":"attachments_1591205162","site":"news","id":"11886547","found":true},"title":"delta","publishDate":1630024618,"status":"inherit","parent":11886536,"modified":1630024710,"caption":"Aerial view of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. Two-thirds of Californians get some water from here.","credit":"Mark Andrew Boyer/KQED","altTag":null,"description":null,"imgSizes":{"medium":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta-800x450.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"large":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta-1020x574.jpg","width":1020,"height":574,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta-160x90.jpg","width":160,"height":90,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"1536x1536":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta-1536x864.jpg","width":1536,"height":864,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"post-thumbnail":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta-672x372.jpg","width":672,"height":372,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"twentyfourteen-full-width":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta-1038x576.jpg","width":1038,"height":576,"mimeType":"image/jpeg"},"kqedFullSize":{"file":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/delta.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080}},"fetchFailed":false,"isLoading":false}},"audioPlayerReducer":{"postId":"stream_live"},"authorsReducer":{"byline_news_11973512":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11973512","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11973512","name":"\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/rachel-becker/\">Rachel Becker\u003c/a>","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11970957":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11970957","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11970957","name":"Amy Taxin\u003cbr>Associated Press","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11966468":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11966468","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11966468","name":"Amy Taxin\u003cbr>The Associated Press","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11947248":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11947248","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11947248","name":"\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/alastair-bland/\">Alastair Bland\u003c/a>","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11940344":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11940344","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11940344","name":"Alastair Bland","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11891401":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11891401","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11891401","name":"\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/143160021/daniel-charles\">Dan Charles\u003c/a>","isLoading":false},"byline_news_11886536":{"type":"authors","id":"byline_news_11886536","meta":{"override":true},"slug":"byline_news_11886536","name":"Lauren Sommer, Ezra David Romero, Katrina Schwartz","isLoading":false},"katsnow":{"type":"authors","id":"235","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"235","found":true},"name":"Katrin Snow","firstName":"Katrin","lastName":"Snow","slug":"katsnow","email":"ksnow@kqed.org","display_author_email":true,"staff_mastheads":["science"],"title":"Senior Editor","bio":"Kat started in radio in 1985 at KMUN in Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River meets the sea. She worked several years protecting monarch butterfly habitat in California with the Xerces Society, an invertebrate conservation organization, before a love for radio news drew her back into journalism. Kat came to KQED in 2002, and before that was a reporter and news director at KUER in Salt Lake City, covering the state legislature, the environment and health. Kat coaches reporters and others in embodied narration and public speaking. She is a certified teacher of Soul Motion®, a conscious dance practice, and can sometimes be found in the Mojave desert or the Eastern Sierra.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fa6bf8a74a2692973a5484e64ebd2b52?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":"cosmologicalkat","facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"futureofyou","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Katrin Snow | KQED","description":"Senior Editor","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fa6bf8a74a2692973a5484e64ebd2b52?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fa6bf8a74a2692973a5484e64ebd2b52?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/katsnow"},"kqednewsstaffandwires":{"type":"authors","id":"237","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"237","found":true},"name":"KQED News Staff and Wires","firstName":"KQED News Staff and Wires","lastName":null,"slug":"kqednewsstaffandwires","email":"onlinenewsstaff@kqed.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":null,"bio":null,"avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72295af8ebbfbd19a4948f5271285664?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"arts","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"news","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"lowdown","roles":["author"]},{"site":"stateofhealth","roles":["contributor"]},{"site":"food","roles":["author"]}],"headData":{"title":"KQED News Staff and Wires | KQED","description":null,"ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72295af8ebbfbd19a4948f5271285664?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72295af8ebbfbd19a4948f5271285664?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/kqednewsstaffandwires"},"sgonzalez":{"type":"authors","id":"11621","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11621","found":true},"name":"Saul Gonzalez","firstName":"Saul","lastName":"Gonzalez","slug":"sgonzalez","email":"sgonzalez@KQED.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":["news"],"title":"Host, The California Report","bio":"A Golden State native, Saul has been the Los Angeles co-host of \u003cem>The California Report\u003c/em>since 2019, covering such issues as homelessness and housing policy, the state's response to climate change and the ravages of the Covid pandemic. Whenever possible, tries to be outside of the studio, connecting these big issues to the daily lives of Californians experiencing them in very personal ways.\r\n\r\nBefore joining KQED, Saul worked for the PBS \u003cem>NewsHour, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, \u003c/em>and public radio affiliate KCRW in Santa Monica, where he also hosted the podcast series \"There Goes the Neighborhood\" about gentrification. For his work, Saul has been honored with several Emmys and is a two-time winner of the L.A. Press Club's Radio Journalist of the Year Award.\r\n\r\nWhen not working, Saul spends his time trying to hone his amateur photography skills and spending as much time as possible in bookstores and coffee houses.","avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/06e10f8ad252ef896cc4dc6bbee5f901?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"news","roles":["author"]}],"headData":{"title":"Saul Gonzalez | KQED","description":"Host, The California Report","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/06e10f8ad252ef896cc4dc6bbee5f901?s=600&d=blank&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/06e10f8ad252ef896cc4dc6bbee5f901?s=600&d=blank&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/sgonzalez"},"apelit":{"type":"authors","id":"11812","meta":{"index":"authors_1591205172","id":"11812","found":true},"name":"Attila Pelit","firstName":"Attila","lastName":"Pelit","slug":"apelit","email":"apelit@kqed.org","display_author_email":false,"staff_mastheads":[],"title":"KQED Contributor","bio":null,"avatar":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b7b8a9e595d58a1f4d853f8608ae584?s=600&d=mm&r=g","twitter":null,"facebook":null,"instagram":null,"linkedin":null,"sites":[{"site":"news","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"science","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"elections","roles":["editor"]},{"site":"liveblog","roles":["editor"]}],"headData":{"title":"Attila Pelit | KQED","description":"KQED Contributor","ogImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b7b8a9e595d58a1f4d853f8608ae584?s=600&d=mm&r=g","twImgSrc":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b7b8a9e595d58a1f4d853f8608ae584?s=600&d=mm&r=g"},"isLoading":false,"link":"/author/apelit"}},"breakingNewsReducer":{},"campaignFinanceReducer":{},"firebase":{"requesting":{},"requested":{},"timestamps":{},"data":{},"ordered":{},"auth":{"isLoaded":false,"isEmpty":true},"authError":null,"profile":{"isLoaded":false,"isEmpty":true},"listeners":{"byId":{},"allIds":[]},"isInitializing":false,"errors":[]},"navBarReducer":{"navBarId":"news","fullView":true,"showPlayer":false},"navMenuReducer":{"menus":[{"key":"menu1","items":[{"name":"News","link":"/","type":"title"},{"name":"Politics","link":"/politics"},{"name":"Science","link":"/science"},{"name":"Education","link":"/educationnews"},{"name":"Housing","link":"/housing"},{"name":"Immigration","link":"/immigration"},{"name":"Criminal Justice","link":"/criminaljustice"},{"name":"Silicon Valley","link":"/siliconvalley"},{"name":"Forum","link":"/forum"},{"name":"The California Report","link":"/californiareport"}]},{"key":"menu2","items":[{"name":"Arts & Culture","link":"/arts","type":"title"},{"name":"Critics’ Picks","link":"/thedolist"},{"name":"Cultural Commentary","link":"/artscommentary"},{"name":"Food & Drink","link":"/food"},{"name":"Bay Area Hip-Hop","link":"/bayareahiphop"},{"name":"Rebel Girls","link":"/rebelgirls"},{"name":"Arts Video","link":"/artsvideos"}]},{"key":"menu3","items":[{"name":"Podcasts","link":"/podcasts","type":"title"},{"name":"Bay Curious","link":"/podcasts/baycurious"},{"name":"Rightnowish","link":"/podcasts/rightnowish"},{"name":"The Bay","link":"/podcasts/thebay"},{"name":"On Our Watch","link":"/podcasts/onourwatch"},{"name":"Mindshift","link":"/podcasts/mindshift"},{"name":"Consider This","link":"/podcasts/considerthis"},{"name":"Political Breakdown","link":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown"}]},{"key":"menu4","items":[{"name":"Live Radio","link":"/radio","type":"title"},{"name":"TV","link":"/tv","type":"title"},{"name":"Events","link":"/events","type":"title"},{"name":"For Educators","link":"/education","type":"title"},{"name":"Support KQED","link":"/support","type":"title"},{"name":"About","link":"/about","type":"title"},{"name":"Help Center","link":"https://kqed-helpcenter.kqed.org/s","type":"title"}]}]},"pagesReducer":{},"postsReducer":{"stream_live":{"type":"live","id":"stream_live","audioUrl":"https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio","title":"Live Stream","excerpt":"Live Stream information currently unavailable.","link":"/radio","featImg":"","label":{"name":"KQED Live","link":"/"}},"stream_kqedNewscast":{"type":"posts","id":"stream_kqedNewscast","audioUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1","title":"KQED Newscast","featImg":"","label":{"name":"88.5 FM","link":"/"}},"news_11973512":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11973512","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11973512","score":null,"sort":[1706126439000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"alarming-study-reveals-californias-rapidly-declining-groundwater-basins","title":"Alarming Study Reveals California's Rapidly Declining Groundwater Basins","publishDate":1706126439,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Alarming Study Reveals California’s Rapidly Declining Groundwater Basins | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":18481,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>In a sign of the ongoing threats to its precious groundwater stores, half a dozen regions in California rank among the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06879-8\">according to research published on Wednesday\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Globally, lack of local water drives migration, poverty, starvation and violence — while in California, it drives \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">decades-long regulatory battles\u003c/a> over how to stop over-pumping by growers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aquifers in Spain, Iran, China and Chile top the list of the 100 most rapidly dropping groundwater levels. \u003ca href=\"https://legal-planet.org/2023/09/18/why-is-there-a-carrot-boycott-in-cuyama-valley/\">California’s Cuyama Valley\u003c/a>, north of Santa Barbara, ranked 34th worldwide. Its underground basin has been dropping almost 5 feet a year, and residents, farmers and even the school district are locked in a court battle with carrot growers who \u003ca href=\"https://legal-planet.org/2023/09/18/why-is-there-a-carrot-boycott-in-cuyama-valley/\">sued them over groundwater rights\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four other basins in the San Joaquin Valley and one in northeastern San Diego also netted spots in the top 100, with water levels falling up to almost four feet a year, according to the study, which was led by University of California and Swiss researchers and published in the journal \u003cem>Nature\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only two other basins in the United States made the top 100: Gila Bend near Phoenix and Mill Creek in Idaho.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Scott Jasechko, study co-author and associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater, UC Santa Barbara\"]‘Some of the rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world. It’s a sobering finding. We’ve got a lot of work to do here in California.’[/pullquote]“Some of the rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world,” said \u003ca href=\"https://bren.ucsb.edu/people/scott-jasechko\">Scott Jasechko\u003c/a>, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater at UC Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sobering finding,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do here in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The research revealed that rapidly declining groundwater basins are virtually nonexistent in places without farming. Heavily farmed regions in drier climates, such as the San Joaquin Valley, Iran and parts of India, are especially hard hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plummeting groundwater levels \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">can cause drinking water wells to go dry\u003c/a>. Streams \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/12/klamath-basin-tribes-ranchers-water-salmon/\">can dwindle and disappear,\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/10/san-joaquin-valley-groundwater/\">desiccated earth can sink and collapse\u003c/a> — shrinking the storage capacity of aquifers and damaging roads, buildings, levees and other structures above ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, \u003ca href=\"https://mydrywatersupply.water.ca.gov/report/publicpage\">thousands of wells have gone dry\u003c/a> after \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">years of drought and overpumping\u003c/a> — spreading from the San Joaquin Valley to the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">Sacramento Valley\u003c/a> during the most recent drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Land in parts of the San Joaquin Valley has subsided so much that it has damaged the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Engineering-And-Construction/Subsidence\">California Aqueduct\u003c/a>, which carries river water to Southern California, forced at least \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/Jan-21/Friant-Kern-Canal-Groundbreaking\">$187 million of repairs on the Friant-Kern Canal\u003c/a>, and required \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-12/newsom-announces-funding-to-raise-corcoran-levee\">millions more to fortify a levee\u003c/a> around the sinking town of Corcoran to protect it from floodwaters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers analyzed more than 170,000 groundwater wells in more than 40 countries\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>and reported “widespread acceleration in groundwater level deepening,” which they said “highlights an urgent need for more effective measures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-map-groundwater-global.netlify.app/\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study provides a global database that backs up observations that have long worried water watchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The major contribution is to bring into much sharper focus this global problem of groundwater depletion and over-pumping,” said \u003ca href=\"https://lawr.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/fogg-graham\">Graham Fogg\u003c/a>, a professor emeritus of hydrogeology at UC Davis who was not involved with the research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With groundwater, if it’s left unmanaged and unregulated, it’s going to be abused in many, many cases. And if that abuse goes on long enough, some basins will be exhausted of water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Violence over water is flaring around the globe. Water is a trigger, casualty and weapon in \u003ca href=\"https://pacinst.org/announcement/violence-over-water-increases-globally-according-to-new-data-from-pacific-institute-water-conflict-chronology/\">hundreds of conflicts just over the past two years\u003c/a> — from Russian troops destroying a Ukrainian dam to \u003ca href=\"https://worldwater.org/conflict/list/\">cyberattacks on Israeli water infrastructure\u003c/a> and Israeli military forces seizing or destroying Palestinian water sources. Clashes over water safety and scarcity have led to injuries and deaths around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, water disputes roil the state, from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/12/klamath-basin-tribes-ranchers-water-salmon/\">the Scott and Shasta Rivers in the far north\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/09/california-delta-bay-plan/\">the Bay-Delta\u003c/a> and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>San Joaquin Valley growers are still over-pumping\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ten years ago, alarmed by record declines in groundwater and thousands of dried-up wells, California lawmakers passed a law to stop overpumping. The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">Sustainable Groundwater Management Act\u003c/a> requires local agencies to achieve sustainable groundwater use by 2040 for the most critically overdrafted basins and 2042 for basins considered less depleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Graham Fogg, professor emeritus of hydrogeology, UC Davis\"]‘We’ve built a food supply system that relies in large part on irrigated agriculture, which in turn relies in many areas … on pumped groundwater. So that has to change.’[/pullquote]But wells have \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">continued to go dry,\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/california-s-groundwater-semi-annual-conditions-updates/resource/7a9f6a69-0f43-474c-b9a5-b8b6f3e5ed48\">groundwater depletion continues\u003c/a> with few protections in place. So far, California water officials deemed plans for six San Joaquin Valley basins \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/10/san-joaquin-valley-groundwater/\">inadequate and called for probation hearings\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the Cuyama Valley, the \u003cem>Nature \u003c/em>paper’s top 100 includes the \u003ca href=\"https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/gsa/print/244\">White Wolf Basin in Kern County\u003c/a> (52nd), the \u003ca href=\"https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/gsa/print/370\">San Pasqual Valley\u003c/a> in northeastern San Diego (55th), the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Bulletin-118/Files/2003-Basin-Descriptions/5_022_05_ChowchillaSubbasin.pdf\">Chowchilla Basin (PDF)\u003c/a> straddling Merced and Madera counties (65th), the Northern Kern Basin (69th) and \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Bulletin-118/Files/2003-Basin-Descriptions/5_022_11_KaweahSubbasin.pdf\">the Kaweah Basin (PDF)\u003c/a> in Kings and Tulare counties (93rd).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jasechko and his colleagues set out to understand how groundwater depletion in California compared to other aquifers globally. It took them six years to scour the literature for water level measurements, download it from databases and request it from water managers around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than 540 aquifers, the researchers had enough data to compare groundwater levels over 40 years. Of those, about a third showed accelerating groundwater declines. Another 21% had increases in the 1980s and 1990s turned to losses over the past 23 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Jasechko found some reasons for hope: 20% of aquifers saw groundwater declines slow down in the 21st century. Another 16% pivoted from groundwater decline to recovery, while 13% saw groundwater levels continue to increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Long-term groundwater losses are neither universal nor inevitable,” the researchers wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_11970957,news_11940344,news_11971872\"]Groundwater depletion in parts of Saudi Arabia slowed, for instance — possibly due to policies \u003ca href=\"https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/1050168/CIRENDTARGETSOccasionalPaper19Kim_VanDerBeek2018.pdf?sequence=5\">aimed at curbing agricultural use\u003c/a>, including \u003ca href=\"https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Saudi%20Arabian%20Alfalfa%20Hay%20Market%20_Riyadh_Saudi%20Arabia_2-22-2017.pdf\">a phaseout of alfalfa (PDF)\u003c/a> cultivation that \u003ca href=\"https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/337173/\">also led to a massive increase in imports from the U.S\u003c/a>. In Bangkok, Thailand, pumping slowed after officials increased fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the Coachella Valley, groundwater levels \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70209731\">improved after the water district\u003c/a> introduced a new pricing structure, increased recharge and improved access to the Colorado River and recycled water supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But UC Davis’s Fogg said that the research also clarified what he called one of the existential challenges for the nexus between food, energy and water: how reining in groundwater depletion will affect the global food system. About 70% of water worldwide is used for agriculture and irrigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve built a food supply system that relies in large part on irrigated agriculture, which in turn relies in many areas … on pumped groundwater,” Fogg said. “So that has to change. That change will likely result in effects on the food supply. So it’s a major challenge to see how civilization can deal with that in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Researchers found that the world’s most rapidly declining basins are in farm regions, especially drier areas like the San Joaquin Valley. Wells are drying out, and land is sinking.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1706129646,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":true,"iframeSrcs":["https://calmatters-map-groundwater-global.netlify.app/"],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":31,"wordCount":1309},"headData":{"title":"Alarming Study Reveals California's Rapidly Declining Groundwater Basins | KQED","description":"Researchers found that the world’s most rapidly declining basins are in farm regions, especially drier areas like the San Joaquin Valley. Wells are drying out, and land is sinking.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"sticky":false,"nprByline":"\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/rachel-becker/\">Rachel Becker\u003c/a>","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11973512/alarming-study-reveals-californias-rapidly-declining-groundwater-basins","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In a sign of the ongoing threats to its precious groundwater stores, half a dozen regions in California rank among the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06879-8\">according to research published on Wednesday\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Globally, lack of local water drives migration, poverty, starvation and violence — while in California, it drives \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">decades-long regulatory battles\u003c/a> over how to stop over-pumping by growers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aquifers in Spain, Iran, China and Chile top the list of the 100 most rapidly dropping groundwater levels. \u003ca href=\"https://legal-planet.org/2023/09/18/why-is-there-a-carrot-boycott-in-cuyama-valley/\">California’s Cuyama Valley\u003c/a>, north of Santa Barbara, ranked 34th worldwide. Its underground basin has been dropping almost 5 feet a year, and residents, farmers and even the school district are locked in a court battle with carrot growers who \u003ca href=\"https://legal-planet.org/2023/09/18/why-is-there-a-carrot-boycott-in-cuyama-valley/\">sued them over groundwater rights\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four other basins in the San Joaquin Valley and one in northeastern San Diego also netted spots in the top 100, with water levels falling up to almost four feet a year, according to the study, which was led by University of California and Swiss researchers and published in the journal \u003cem>Nature\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only two other basins in the United States made the top 100: Gila Bend near Phoenix and Mill Creek in Idaho.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘Some of the rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world. It’s a sobering finding. We’ve got a lot of work to do here in California.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Scott Jasechko, study co-author and associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater, UC Santa Barbara","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Some of the rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world,” said \u003ca href=\"https://bren.ucsb.edu/people/scott-jasechko\">Scott Jasechko\u003c/a>, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater at UC Santa Barbara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sobering finding,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do here in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The research revealed that rapidly declining groundwater basins are virtually nonexistent in places without farming. Heavily farmed regions in drier climates, such as the San Joaquin Valley, Iran and parts of India, are especially hard hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plummeting groundwater levels \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">can cause drinking water wells to go dry\u003c/a>. Streams \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/12/klamath-basin-tribes-ranchers-water-salmon/\">can dwindle and disappear,\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/10/san-joaquin-valley-groundwater/\">desiccated earth can sink and collapse\u003c/a> — shrinking the storage capacity of aquifers and damaging roads, buildings, levees and other structures above ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, \u003ca href=\"https://mydrywatersupply.water.ca.gov/report/publicpage\">thousands of wells have gone dry\u003c/a> after \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">years of drought and overpumping\u003c/a> — spreading from the San Joaquin Valley to the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">Sacramento Valley\u003c/a> during the most recent drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Land in parts of the San Joaquin Valley has subsided so much that it has damaged the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Engineering-And-Construction/Subsidence\">California Aqueduct\u003c/a>, which carries river water to Southern California, forced at least \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/Jan-21/Friant-Kern-Canal-Groundbreaking\">$187 million of repairs on the Friant-Kern Canal\u003c/a>, and required \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-12/newsom-announces-funding-to-raise-corcoran-levee\">millions more to fortify a levee\u003c/a> around the sinking town of Corcoran to protect it from floodwaters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers analyzed more than 170,000 groundwater wells in more than 40 countries\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>and reported “widespread acceleration in groundwater level deepening,” which they said “highlights an urgent need for more effective measures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-map-groundwater-global.netlify.app/\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study provides a global database that backs up observations that have long worried water watchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The major contribution is to bring into much sharper focus this global problem of groundwater depletion and over-pumping,” said \u003ca href=\"https://lawr.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/fogg-graham\">Graham Fogg\u003c/a>, a professor emeritus of hydrogeology at UC Davis who was not involved with the research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With groundwater, if it’s left unmanaged and unregulated, it’s going to be abused in many, many cases. And if that abuse goes on long enough, some basins will be exhausted of water.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Violence over water is flaring around the globe. Water is a trigger, casualty and weapon in \u003ca href=\"https://pacinst.org/announcement/violence-over-water-increases-globally-according-to-new-data-from-pacific-institute-water-conflict-chronology/\">hundreds of conflicts just over the past two years\u003c/a> — from Russian troops destroying a Ukrainian dam to \u003ca href=\"https://worldwater.org/conflict/list/\">cyberattacks on Israeli water infrastructure\u003c/a> and Israeli military forces seizing or destroying Palestinian water sources. Clashes over water safety and scarcity have led to injuries and deaths around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In California, water disputes roil the state, from \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/12/klamath-basin-tribes-ranchers-water-salmon/\">the Scott and Shasta Rivers in the far north\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/09/california-delta-bay-plan/\">the Bay-Delta\u003c/a> and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>San Joaquin Valley growers are still over-pumping\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ten years ago, alarmed by record declines in groundwater and thousands of dried-up wells, California lawmakers passed a law to stop overpumping. The \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/08/california-groundwater-dry/\">Sustainable Groundwater Management Act\u003c/a> requires local agencies to achieve sustainable groundwater use by 2040 for the most critically overdrafted basins and 2042 for basins considered less depleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘We’ve built a food supply system that relies in large part on irrigated agriculture, which in turn relies in many areas … on pumped groundwater. So that has to change.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Graham Fogg, professor emeritus of hydrogeology, UC Davis","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But wells have \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">continued to go dry,\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/california-s-groundwater-semi-annual-conditions-updates/resource/7a9f6a69-0f43-474c-b9a5-b8b6f3e5ed48\">groundwater depletion continues\u003c/a> with few protections in place. So far, California water officials deemed plans for six San Joaquin Valley basins \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/10/san-joaquin-valley-groundwater/\">inadequate and called for probation hearings\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the Cuyama Valley, the \u003cem>Nature \u003c/em>paper’s top 100 includes the \u003ca href=\"https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/gsa/print/244\">White Wolf Basin in Kern County\u003c/a> (52nd), the \u003ca href=\"https://sgma.water.ca.gov/portal/gsa/print/370\">San Pasqual Valley\u003c/a> in northeastern San Diego (55th), the \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Bulletin-118/Files/2003-Basin-Descriptions/5_022_05_ChowchillaSubbasin.pdf\">Chowchilla Basin (PDF)\u003c/a> straddling Merced and Madera counties (65th), the Northern Kern Basin (69th) and \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Bulletin-118/Files/2003-Basin-Descriptions/5_022_11_KaweahSubbasin.pdf\">the Kaweah Basin (PDF)\u003c/a> in Kings and Tulare counties (93rd).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jasechko and his colleagues set out to understand how groundwater depletion in California compared to other aquifers globally. It took them six years to scour the literature for water level measurements, download it from databases and request it from water managers around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than 540 aquifers, the researchers had enough data to compare groundwater levels over 40 years. Of those, about a third showed accelerating groundwater declines. Another 21% had increases in the 1980s and 1990s turned to losses over the past 23 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Jasechko found some reasons for hope: 20% of aquifers saw groundwater declines slow down in the 21st century. Another 16% pivoted from groundwater decline to recovery, while 13% saw groundwater levels continue to increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Long-term groundwater losses are neither universal nor inevitable,” the researchers wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"Related Stories ","postid":"news_11970957,news_11940344,news_11971872"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Groundwater depletion in parts of Saudi Arabia slowed, for instance — possibly due to policies \u003ca href=\"https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/1050168/CIRENDTARGETSOccasionalPaper19Kim_VanDerBeek2018.pdf?sequence=5\">aimed at curbing agricultural use\u003c/a>, including \u003ca href=\"https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Saudi%20Arabian%20Alfalfa%20Hay%20Market%20_Riyadh_Saudi%20Arabia_2-22-2017.pdf\">a phaseout of alfalfa (PDF)\u003c/a> cultivation that \u003ca href=\"https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/337173/\">also led to a massive increase in imports from the U.S\u003c/a>. In Bangkok, Thailand, pumping slowed after officials increased fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in the Coachella Valley, groundwater levels \u003ca href=\"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70209731\">improved after the water district\u003c/a> introduced a new pricing structure, increased recharge and improved access to the Colorado River and recycled water supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But UC Davis’s Fogg said that the research also clarified what he called one of the existential challenges for the nexus between food, energy and water: how reining in groundwater depletion will affect the global food system. About 70% of water worldwide is used for agriculture and irrigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve built a food supply system that relies in large part on irrigated agriculture, which in turn relies in many areas … on pumped groundwater,” Fogg said. “So that has to change. That change will likely result in effects on the food supply. So it’s a major challenge to see how civilization can deal with that in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11973512/alarming-study-reveals-californias-rapidly-declining-groundwater-basins","authors":["byline_news_11973512"],"categories":["news_31795","news_19906","news_8","news_356"],"tags":["news_18538","news_27626","news_5892","news_3187","news_483"],"affiliates":["news_18481"],"featImg":"news_11973516","label":"news_18481"},"news_11970957":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11970957","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11970957","score":null,"sort":[1703691059000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"california-rules-to-address-contaminated-groundwater-are-driving-farmers-and-residents-to-court","title":"California Rules to Address Contaminated Groundwater Are Driving Farmers and Residents to Court","publishDate":1703691059,"format":"standard","headTitle":"California Rules to Address Contaminated Groundwater Are Driving Farmers and Residents to Court | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Near fields awash with strawberries and greens, Ileana Miranda and her family pay $72 a month to get water piped into their home in a rural California community — and that’s before they consume a drop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They pay to bring it from more than a mile away because the groundwater beneath them has been contaminated with nitrates leached into the soil from years of large-scale farming.[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Ileana Miranda, manager of the San Jerardo cooperative\"]‘We understand crops need these chemicals to grow, but you don’t need to put that much in the groundwater. It is essentially poisoning the groundwater that we need to live.’[/pullquote]Now, the San Jerardo cooperative — where Miranda and 300 others live — and environmental organizations have sued the state, demanding stricter rules about how much fertilizer farmers can use in the hope that the next generation of residents in the community 100 miles southeast of San Francisco will have cleaner water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand crops need these chemicals to grow, but you don’t need to put that much in the groundwater,” said Miranda, who manages the cooperative. “It is essentially poisoning the groundwater that we need to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some California farming communities have been plagued for years by \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-california-water-quality-climate-and-environment-ca8eb802e95e8704ca0038d718fad541\">problems with their drinking water\u003c/a> due to nitrates and other contaminants in the groundwater that feeds their wells. Advocates have long pushed to remedy the situation, which disproportionately affects lower-income and Latino residents, many of whom worked in the same fields where farmers are accused of leaving too much nitrate behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nitrogen is in fertilizer because plants depend on it, but it can contaminate drinking water supplies. Much of the nitrate detected in wells today comes from fertilizer applied decades ago to ensure crop size and quality. As a result, researchers said the issue of nitrate-laden drinking water, which can cause a blood disease known as blue baby syndrome in infants and affect pregnant women, will likely persist for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has been working to address the problem for years through regional water quality control boards and the State Water Resources Control Board. Different approaches have been taken in the Central Valley, which is home to more dairies and tomato farms, and the Central Coast to the west, where strawberries and leafy greens thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11970958\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11970958\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman walks by a very large water tank.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ileana Miranda walks in front of the new San Jerardo cooperative water tank near her home in Salinas on Dec. 20, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued rules limiting how much fertilizer farmers could apply and protecting areas near streams. This year, the state water board put those plans on hold, arguing that more consistent standards and scientific review are needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The decision drove San Jerardo residents and water quality advocates to take the state to court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers, meanwhile, filed their own legal action, arguing neither the state nor the regional board fully considered the economic impact of the changes on those responsible for the country’s food supply. Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, said nitrogen is vital to ensure the size and quality of produce consumed throughout the country, but fertilizer is already being applied more precisely than it was in the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003cbr>\n“We just can’t sustain our food supply without some sort of nitrogen application,” Groot said. “We now have a lot more science that supports when applications are needed and how those applications can be measured and metered. We’re not using nearly as much fertilizer as what was done a decade or 30 years ago.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Central Coast board’s limits would have forced some county farmers to grow two crops of leafy greens a year instead of three, he said. Pumping out groundwater laden with nitrates to irrigate fields while replacing it with newer water could help improve the situation over time, he said, adding that farmers depend on local drinking water, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Edward Ortiz, a spokesperson for the State Water Resources Control Board, declined to comment on the lawsuits but said in an email that the approach taken in the Central Valley has the support of a panel of scientific experts. A second panel, he said, is expected to review both approaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The litigation comes as California is stepping up efforts to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-groundwater-drought-farming-probation-hearing-38aa9bd2b7d991e6bd1000ec9d8ad771\">regulate \u003c/a>groundwater use after years of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-weather-climate-and-environment-6f591a7e40f39a0d804706b507fd4022\">drought\u003c/a> and with potentially drier winters due to climate change. Farming is a key part of the state’s economy, with strawberries and lettuce bringing in more than $5 billion combined in 2021, agricultural statistics show.[aside label=\"more on groundwater issues\" tag=\"groundwater\"]Michael Cahn, irrigation and water resource advisor for the University of California, Cooperative Extension, said he’s been working with Central Coast farmers to reduce the nitrogen they leave behind. Strategies include rapid-testing soil before applying fertilizer, improving water management and planting \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cover-crops-farming-carbon-nitrogen-1648449f90b7072be50b95a21d733618\">cover crops\u003c/a>, he said, but added the problem won’t be resolved quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is the value of vegetables is so high, and a lot of time it is just easier to put more fertilizer and water on than do careful management,” Cahn said. “We have a lot of contaminated groundwater to use, so it will take a long time to clean up. People say this could be 50 years in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some local communities rely on bottled drinking water due to nitrate levels in groundwater wells, said Brandon Bollinger, senior community advocacy manager at Community Water Center. He said his organization delivers bottled water weekly to about 260 households on the Central Coast, and in one area, nitrate levels were six times what’s deemed safe to drink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We like to say water flows toward money and power, and in California, that generally looks like water flowing toward industrial agriculture,” he said. “We need to have limits and targets and a timeline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Jerardo, which was founded by farmworkers in the 1970s, people rely solely on groundwater for drinking, bathing and washing. The community’s first well was deemed contaminated in 1990, and the second, a few years later. After a third well went bad, the county got involved and drilled the latest well, said Horacio Amezquita, whose father was among the community’s founding members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amezquita said efforts can be made to clean up the water system, but the answer is not to use synthetic fertilizers in the first place. He said he’s still farming in the area, growing cover crops and grains, but doesn’t use fertilizer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re more interested in having their crops, at their own time, having their schedule at their own time,” Amezquita said. “It’s not a sustainable agriculture.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"A group of residents in Salinas whose groundwater has been contaminated are suing the state to demand stricter rules about how much fertilizer farmers can use.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1703695205,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":20,"wordCount":1165},"headData":{"title":"California Rules to Address Contaminated Groundwater Are Driving Farmers and Residents to Court | KQED","description":"A group of residents in Salinas whose groundwater has been contaminated are suing the state to demand stricter rules about how much fertilizer farmers can use.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"sticky":false,"nprByline":"Amy Taxin\u003cbr>Associated Press","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11970957/california-rules-to-address-contaminated-groundwater-are-driving-farmers-and-residents-to-court","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Near fields awash with strawberries and greens, Ileana Miranda and her family pay $72 a month to get water piped into their home in a rural California community — and that’s before they consume a drop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They pay to bring it from more than a mile away because the groundwater beneath them has been contaminated with nitrates leached into the soil from years of large-scale farming.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘We understand crops need these chemicals to grow, but you don’t need to put that much in the groundwater. It is essentially poisoning the groundwater that we need to live.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Ileana Miranda, manager of the San Jerardo cooperative","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Now, the San Jerardo cooperative — where Miranda and 300 others live — and environmental organizations have sued the state, demanding stricter rules about how much fertilizer farmers can use in the hope that the next generation of residents in the community 100 miles southeast of San Francisco will have cleaner water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand crops need these chemicals to grow, but you don’t need to put that much in the groundwater,” said Miranda, who manages the cooperative. “It is essentially poisoning the groundwater that we need to live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some California farming communities have been plagued for years by \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/health-california-water-quality-climate-and-environment-ca8eb802e95e8704ca0038d718fad541\">problems with their drinking water\u003c/a> due to nitrates and other contaminants in the groundwater that feeds their wells. Advocates have long pushed to remedy the situation, which disproportionately affects lower-income and Latino residents, many of whom worked in the same fields where farmers are accused of leaving too much nitrate behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nitrogen is in fertilizer because plants depend on it, but it can contaminate drinking water supplies. Much of the nitrate detected in wells today comes from fertilizer applied decades ago to ensure crop size and quality. As a result, researchers said the issue of nitrate-laden drinking water, which can cause a blood disease known as blue baby syndrome in infants and affect pregnant women, will likely persist for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has been working to address the problem for years through regional water quality control boards and the State Water Resources Control Board. Different approaches have been taken in the Central Valley, which is home to more dairies and tomato farms, and the Central Coast to the west, where strawberries and leafy greens thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11970958\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11970958\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman walks by a very large water tank.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/AP23355285320786-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ileana Miranda walks in front of the new San Jerardo cooperative water tank near her home in Salinas on Dec. 20, 2023. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued rules limiting how much fertilizer farmers could apply and protecting areas near streams. This year, the state water board put those plans on hold, arguing that more consistent standards and scientific review are needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The decision drove San Jerardo residents and water quality advocates to take the state to court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers, meanwhile, filed their own legal action, arguing neither the state nor the regional board fully considered the economic impact of the changes on those responsible for the country’s food supply. Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, said nitrogen is vital to ensure the size and quality of produce consumed throughout the country, but fertilizer is already being applied more precisely than it was in the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cbr>\n“We just can’t sustain our food supply without some sort of nitrogen application,” Groot said. “We now have a lot more science that supports when applications are needed and how those applications can be measured and metered. We’re not using nearly as much fertilizer as what was done a decade or 30 years ago.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Central Coast board’s limits would have forced some county farmers to grow two crops of leafy greens a year instead of three, he said. Pumping out groundwater laden with nitrates to irrigate fields while replacing it with newer water could help improve the situation over time, he said, adding that farmers depend on local drinking water, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Edward Ortiz, a spokesperson for the State Water Resources Control Board, declined to comment on the lawsuits but said in an email that the approach taken in the Central Valley has the support of a panel of scientific experts. A second panel, he said, is expected to review both approaches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The litigation comes as California is stepping up efforts to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-groundwater-drought-farming-probation-hearing-38aa9bd2b7d991e6bd1000ec9d8ad771\">regulate \u003c/a>groundwater use after years of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-weather-climate-and-environment-6f591a7e40f39a0d804706b507fd4022\">drought\u003c/a> and with potentially drier winters due to climate change. Farming is a key part of the state’s economy, with strawberries and lettuce bringing in more than $5 billion combined in 2021, agricultural statistics show.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"more on groundwater issues ","tag":"groundwater"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Michael Cahn, irrigation and water resource advisor for the University of California, Cooperative Extension, said he’s been working with Central Coast farmers to reduce the nitrogen they leave behind. Strategies include rapid-testing soil before applying fertilizer, improving water management and planting \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/cover-crops-farming-carbon-nitrogen-1648449f90b7072be50b95a21d733618\">cover crops\u003c/a>, he said, but added the problem won’t be resolved quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is the value of vegetables is so high, and a lot of time it is just easier to put more fertilizer and water on than do careful management,” Cahn said. “We have a lot of contaminated groundwater to use, so it will take a long time to clean up. People say this could be 50 years in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some local communities rely on bottled drinking water due to nitrate levels in groundwater wells, said Brandon Bollinger, senior community advocacy manager at Community Water Center. He said his organization delivers bottled water weekly to about 260 households on the Central Coast, and in one area, nitrate levels were six times what’s deemed safe to drink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We like to say water flows toward money and power, and in California, that generally looks like water flowing toward industrial agriculture,” he said. “We need to have limits and targets and a timeline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Jerardo, which was founded by farmworkers in the 1970s, people rely solely on groundwater for drinking, bathing and washing. The community’s first well was deemed contaminated in 1990, and the second, a few years later. After a third well went bad, the county got involved and drilled the latest well, said Horacio Amezquita, whose father was among the community’s founding members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amezquita said efforts can be made to clean up the water system, but the answer is not to use synthetic fertilizers in the first place. He said he’s still farming in the area, growing cover crops and grains, but doesn’t use fertilizer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re more interested in having their crops, at their own time, having their schedule at their own time,” Amezquita said. “It’s not a sustainable agriculture.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11970957/california-rules-to-address-contaminated-groundwater-are-driving-farmers-and-residents-to-court","authors":["byline_news_11970957"],"categories":["news_19906","news_8","news_356"],"tags":["news_4092","news_31720","news_20447","news_20023","news_27626","news_5892"],"featImg":"news_11970959","label":"news"},"news_11966468":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11966468","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11966468","score":null,"sort":[1699214411000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"farmers-look-to-agave-for-spirits-to-help-weather-droughts-and-reduce-groundwater-use","title":"Farmers Look to Agave for Spirits to Help Weather Droughts and Reduce Groundwater Use","publishDate":1699214411,"format":"standard","headTitle":"Farmers Look to Agave for Spirits to Help Weather Droughts and Reduce Groundwater Use | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>Leo Ortega started growing spiky blue agave plants on the arid hillsides around his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A decade later, his property is now dotted with thousands of what he and others hope is a promising new crop for the state following years of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-climate-and-environment-e49c8c5c34ead7ef7f83b770082f20bc\">punishing drought\u003c/a> and a push to scale back on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-groundwater-drought-farming-probation-hearing-38aa9bd2b7d991e6bd1000ec9d8ad771\">groundwater pumping\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 49-year-old mechanical engineer is one of a growing number of Californians planting agave to be harvested and used to make spirits, much like the way tequila and mezcal are made in Mexico. The trend is fueled by the need to find hardy crops that don’t need much water and a booming appetite for premium alcoholic beverages since the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s attracted entrepreneurs such as Ortega, as well as some California farmers. They’re seeking to shift to more water-efficient crops and irrigation methods to avoid fallowing their fields with looming limits on how much groundwater they can pump, as well as more extreme weather patterns anticipated with climate change. Agave, unlike most other crops, thrives on almost no water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we were watering them, they didn’t really grow much, and the ones that weren’t watered were actually growing better,” Ortega said, walking past rows of the succulents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is now investing in a distillery after his initial batches of spirits, made from Agave americana, sold for $160 a bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumers started spending more on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/business-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-lifestyle-ebdeb1a7751354bf1a78b7eb461de3fa\">high-quality spirits\u003c/a> during the pandemic shutdowns, which spurred a rise in premium beverage products, said Erlinda A. Doherty, an agave spirits expert and consultant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Stuart Woolf, Central Valley farmer\"]‘I have been trying to figure out what is a crop that I can grow that is somewhat climate-resilient, drought-tolerant. … The amount of water I am giving them is so low, I don’t think I am ever going to have a problem.’[/pullquote]Tequila and mezcal were the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/commodity-markets-business-464e8a74c984d1acd65d81ac6df17c52\">second-fastest growing spirit\u003c/a> category in the country in 2022, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both are proprietary spirits under Mexican laws, which are recognized in U.S. trade agreements. Much like how \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/champagne-beer-intellectual-property-belgium-miller-09f27ee4a921c66e9605893c51fb9b91\">champagne\u003c/a> hails from a region of France, anything called tequila must contain at least 51% blue Weber agave and be distilled in Jalisco or a handful of other Mexican states. Mezcal can be made from a variety of agave types but must be produced in certain Mexican states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Agave growers and distillers in California — as well as some in Texas and Arizona — are betting there is an appetite for more agave-based spirits even if they are produced outside of Mexico and not called tequila or mezcal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We seem to have this insatiable thirst for agave, so why not have a domestically grown supply?” Doherty said. “I am kind of bullish on it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfonso Mojica Navarro, director of the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry, said tequila has a lengthy history, global reputation for excellence and close connection with Mexican culture. While he didn’t comment specifically on California’s foray into agave spirits, he said he believes Mexico can respond to the growing demand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The tequila industry is concerned that each time there are more players trying to take advantage of tequila’s success by producing agave spirits, liqueurs or other beverages that allude to the Mexican drink, its origins and characteristics despite not being the same,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Agave isn’t grown on a large scale in California yet, and it would take years for that to happen. But spirits, made by cooking the plant’s core to produce sugars that are fermented, are proving popular, said Ventura Spirits owner Henry Tarmy, who distilled his first batch five years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve sold everything we’ve made,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much like Mexico has, California is taking steps to protect its nascent industry. The state legislature enacted a law last year requiring “California agave spirits” be made solely with plants grown in the state and without additives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A dozen growers and a handful of distillers also formed the California Agave Council last year, and the group has tripled in size since then, said Craig Reynolds, the founding director who planted agave in the Northern California community of Davis. He said those making agave spirits have a deep appreciation for Mexican tequila.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have about 45 member growers,” he said. “All of them want more plants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"science_1982673,news_11940344,news_11925400\"]Agave takes little water but presents other challenges. The plant typically takes at least seven years to grow and is tough to harvest, and a mature plant can weigh hundreds of pounds. Once cut, it has to be grown all over again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, many see agave as a viable alternative as California — which supplies the bulk of the country’s produce — explores ways to cut back water use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-water-year-rain-reservoirs-b6385c05b6eb82495f3963e067e568e1\">record rain and snowfall\u003c/a> over the winter mostly ended a three-year drought in California, more dry periods are likely in store. The state enacted a law nearly a decade ago to regulate the pumping of groundwater after excessive pumping led some residents’ wells to run dry and the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/58e0c7bfe91442f79e304fbdc1bec95d/damage-sinking-land-costing-california-billions\">land to sink\u003c/a>. Scientists expect \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-droughts-storms-oregon-3570f775ee3007888cd651d37fcbd465\">extreme weather\u003c/a> patterns will become even more common as the planet warms, causing more drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stuart Woolf, who grows tomatoes and almonds in the state’s crop-rich Central Valley, said he started thinking about agave after estimating he’ll only be able to farm about 60% of his land in 20 years due to water limitations. And that’s despite investing in solar energy and groundwater recharge projects to protect the farm that has been in his family for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After trying out a test plot a few years ago, Woolf went on to plant some 200,000 agave on land he otherwise would have fallowed. Each acre of agave is taking only 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of water a year — a tenth of what row crops demand and even less than pistachio and almond trees, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Woolf and his wife Lisa gave a $100,000 donation to the University of California, Davis, which formed a research fund to look at the succulent’s varieties and its potential as a low-water crop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have been trying to figure out what is a crop that I can grow that is somewhat climate-resilient, drought-tolerant, so I can utilize our land,” Woolf said. “The amount of water I am giving them is so low, I don’t think I am ever going to have a problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":null,"status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1699221331,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":27,"wordCount":1176},"headData":{"title":"Farmers Look to Agave for Spirits to Help Weather Droughts and Reduce Groundwater Use | KQED","description":"Leo Ortega started growing spiky blue agave plants on the arid hillsides around his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked. A decade later, his property is now dotted with thousands of what he and others hope is a promising new crop for the state following years of punishing drought and a push","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"nprByline":"Amy Taxin\u003cbr>The Associated Press","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11966468/farmers-look-to-agave-for-spirits-to-help-weather-droughts-and-reduce-groundwater-use","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Leo Ortega started growing spiky blue agave plants on the arid hillsides around his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A decade later, his property is now dotted with thousands of what he and others hope is a promising new crop for the state following years of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-climate-and-environment-e49c8c5c34ead7ef7f83b770082f20bc\">punishing drought\u003c/a> and a push to scale back on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-groundwater-drought-farming-probation-hearing-38aa9bd2b7d991e6bd1000ec9d8ad771\">groundwater pumping\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 49-year-old mechanical engineer is one of a growing number of Californians planting agave to be harvested and used to make spirits, much like the way tequila and mezcal are made in Mexico. The trend is fueled by the need to find hardy crops that don’t need much water and a booming appetite for premium alcoholic beverages since the COVID-19 pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s attracted entrepreneurs such as Ortega, as well as some California farmers. They’re seeking to shift to more water-efficient crops and irrigation methods to avoid fallowing their fields with looming limits on how much groundwater they can pump, as well as more extreme weather patterns anticipated with climate change. Agave, unlike most other crops, thrives on almost no water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we were watering them, they didn’t really grow much, and the ones that weren’t watered were actually growing better,” Ortega said, walking past rows of the succulents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is now investing in a distillery after his initial batches of spirits, made from Agave americana, sold for $160 a bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumers started spending more on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/business-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-lifestyle-ebdeb1a7751354bf1a78b7eb461de3fa\">high-quality spirits\u003c/a> during the pandemic shutdowns, which spurred a rise in premium beverage products, said Erlinda A. Doherty, an agave spirits expert and consultant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘I have been trying to figure out what is a crop that I can grow that is somewhat climate-resilient, drought-tolerant. … The amount of water I am giving them is so low, I don’t think I am ever going to have a problem.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Stuart Woolf, Central Valley farmer","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Tequila and mezcal were the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/commodity-markets-business-464e8a74c984d1acd65d81ac6df17c52\">second-fastest growing spirit\u003c/a> category in the country in 2022, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both are proprietary spirits under Mexican laws, which are recognized in U.S. trade agreements. Much like how \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/champagne-beer-intellectual-property-belgium-miller-09f27ee4a921c66e9605893c51fb9b91\">champagne\u003c/a> hails from a region of France, anything called tequila must contain at least 51% blue Weber agave and be distilled in Jalisco or a handful of other Mexican states. Mezcal can be made from a variety of agave types but must be produced in certain Mexican states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Agave growers and distillers in California — as well as some in Texas and Arizona — are betting there is an appetite for more agave-based spirits even if they are produced outside of Mexico and not called tequila or mezcal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We seem to have this insatiable thirst for agave, so why not have a domestically grown supply?” Doherty said. “I am kind of bullish on it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfonso Mojica Navarro, director of the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry, said tequila has a lengthy history, global reputation for excellence and close connection with Mexican culture. While he didn’t comment specifically on California’s foray into agave spirits, he said he believes Mexico can respond to the growing demand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The tequila industry is concerned that each time there are more players trying to take advantage of tequila’s success by producing agave spirits, liqueurs or other beverages that allude to the Mexican drink, its origins and characteristics despite not being the same,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Agave isn’t grown on a large scale in California yet, and it would take years for that to happen. But spirits, made by cooking the plant’s core to produce sugars that are fermented, are proving popular, said Ventura Spirits owner Henry Tarmy, who distilled his first batch five years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve sold everything we’ve made,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much like Mexico has, California is taking steps to protect its nascent industry. The state legislature enacted a law last year requiring “California agave spirits” be made solely with plants grown in the state and without additives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A dozen growers and a handful of distillers also formed the California Agave Council last year, and the group has tripled in size since then, said Craig Reynolds, the founding director who planted agave in the Northern California community of Davis. He said those making agave spirits have a deep appreciation for Mexican tequila.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have about 45 member growers,” he said. “All of them want more plants.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"Related Stories ","postid":"science_1982673,news_11940344,news_11925400"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Agave takes little water but presents other challenges. The plant typically takes at least seven years to grow and is tough to harvest, and a mature plant can weigh hundreds of pounds. Once cut, it has to be grown all over again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, many see agave as a viable alternative as California — which supplies the bulk of the country’s produce — explores ways to cut back water use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-water-year-rain-reservoirs-b6385c05b6eb82495f3963e067e568e1\">record rain and snowfall\u003c/a> over the winter mostly ended a three-year drought in California, more dry periods are likely in store. The state enacted a law nearly a decade ago to regulate the pumping of groundwater after excessive pumping led some residents’ wells to run dry and the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/58e0c7bfe91442f79e304fbdc1bec95d/damage-sinking-land-costing-california-billions\">land to sink\u003c/a>. Scientists expect \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-droughts-storms-oregon-3570f775ee3007888cd651d37fcbd465\">extreme weather\u003c/a> patterns will become even more common as the planet warms, causing more drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stuart Woolf, who grows tomatoes and almonds in the state’s crop-rich Central Valley, said he started thinking about agave after estimating he’ll only be able to farm about 60% of his land in 20 years due to water limitations. And that’s despite investing in solar energy and groundwater recharge projects to protect the farm that has been in his family for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After trying out a test plot a few years ago, Woolf went on to plant some 200,000 agave on land he otherwise would have fallowed. Each acre of agave is taking only 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of water a year — a tenth of what row crops demand and even less than pistachio and almond trees, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Woolf and his wife Lisa gave a $100,000 donation to the University of California, Davis, which formed a research fund to look at the succulent’s varieties and its potential as a low-water crop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have been trying to figure out what is a crop that I can grow that is somewhat climate-resilient, drought-tolerant, so I can utilize our land,” Woolf said. “The amount of water I am giving them is so low, I don’t think I am ever going to have a problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11966468/farmers-look-to-agave-for-spirits-to-help-weather-droughts-and-reduce-groundwater-use","authors":["byline_news_11966468"],"categories":["news_31795","news_19906","news_8"],"tags":["news_33452","news_17601","news_5892"],"featImg":"news_11966483","label":"news"},"news_11947248":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11947248","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11947248","score":null,"sort":[1682036888000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"after-the-deluge-floods-may-taint-more-drinking-water-in-california","title":"After the Deluge: Floods May Taint More Drinking Water in California","publishDate":1682036888,"format":"standard","headTitle":"After the Deluge: Floods May Taint More Drinking Water in California | KQED","labelTerm":{"term":18481,"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>When Kelli and Tim Hutten made an offer on a house in the quiet Monterey County town of Moss Landing last summer, they looked forward to mild weather, coastal views, trails along nearby wetlands and being a bit closer to family. Unfortunately, the Huttens also knew that something wasn’t right with the neighborhood’s groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We knew there were water contamination issues,” Kelli Hutten said. “During escrow we did as much research as we could, but there’s a lot to learn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time they moved in with their newborn baby, the details were clear: Their private well water contained five times the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations\">federal government’s limit for nitrate\u003c/a>, which usually leaches from farms. The Huttens immediately signed up for \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/caa/\">delivery of drinking water, paid for by a state program\u003c/a>, and installed a filtration system. Nitrate in water can cause a dangerous circulatory condition in infants called blue baby syndrome, and it has been linked to cancer, too.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Patrick Pulupa, executive officer, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board\"]‘We don’t know whether a lot of recharge on these lands will make (nitrate contamination) worse or push it out.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Huttens’ community in the Salinas Valley, one of the nation’s most productive farm areas, is just one of many towns in California plagued by nitrate contamination of drinking water. For decades, high levels have \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nitrate_project/\">contaminated groundwater basins throughout the state\u003c/a> — especially in disadvantaged farm communities in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — as well as much of the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/04/california-flooding-farms/\">this year’s heavy rains\u003c/a> may worsen this widespread contamination as fertilizer from crops and orchards and manure from ranches and dairy farms are flushed into underground water supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In agricultural regions, decades’ worth of fertilizers applied to orchards and row crops, and tons of cow manure stored in ponds, releases nitrogen into the ground. As much as 40% of nitrogen in fertilizer may eventually enter groundwater supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of households have wells contaminated with nitrate. For public water systems, about \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/groundwaternitrate/files/138956.pdf\">1 in every 10 water samples collected from 20,000 wells in the Tulare Lake Basin and the Salinas Valley exceeded the drinking water standard for nitrate (PDF)\u003c/a>, according to a 2012 UC Davis report to state officials. But the full scope of the problem is unknown, partly because \u003ca href=\"https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/17/groundwater-nitrate-sources-and-contamination-in-the-central-valley/\">Central Valley residents have an estimated 150,0000 private drinking water wells\u003c/a>, which are not routinely monitored for pollutants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 250,000 people served by public water systems or private wells in the Tulare basin and Salinas Valley “are currently at risk for nitrate contamination of their drinking water,” the report says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally \u003ca href=\"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19475683.2017.1346707\">40% of shallow wells\u003c/a> underlying farmland may exceed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/region8-waterops/nitrate-rule-maximum-contaminant-level-mcl-public-notification-template\">federal standard for nitrate\u003c/a> in drinking water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-map-wells-nitrate.netlify.app/?initialWidth=780&childId=pymcontain&parentTitle=Floods%20may%20taint%20more%20water%20in%20California%20farm%20towns%20-%20CalMatters&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fcalmatters.org%2Fenvironment%2F2023%2F04%2Fcalifornia-floods-contaminate-water-nitrate%2F\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a popular mantra among water-quality managers declares that “dilution is the solution to pollution,” it doesn’t always work that way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Helen Dahlke, UC Davis professor of integrated hydrologic sciences, said stormwater percolating into the ground will flush soil nitrates into groundwater basins, causing levels to jump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether the concentrations drop again soon “depends on how much clean water comes along on the back end,” she said. Flooding will probably provide enough water to dilute nitrate-tainted runoff, while groundwater basins recharged by rainfall alone are likely to remain elevated, she said.[aside postID=\"news_11946922,news_11945113\" label=\"Related Posts\"]Michael Claiborne, attorney with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, which works with marginalized communities lacking clean water, is concerned that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/04/california-flooding-farms/\">farms now or recently flooded\u003c/a> have been swamped by filthy water that is now percolating into groundwater basins. These farms include Central Valley parcels intentionally flooded after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3.10.23-Ground-Water-Recharge.pdf?emrc=640bb2ea77e8d\">executive order (PDF)\u003c/a> on March 10 to encourage using stormwater to recharge \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">depleted groundwater\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of dairies that are completely flooded, and that includes the lagoons where they store their manure,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other groups, including the Community Water Center and Clean Water Action, have also raised concerns that the recent flooding of lands saturated with fertilizers and pesticide residues will contaminate groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patrick Pulupa, executive officer with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, said it’s unknown how flooding will affect basins underlying large dairy farms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t know whether a lot of recharge on these lands will make (nitrate contamination) worse or push it out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some places, floodwaters have had clear and immediate impacts on groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February, a levee protecting the small Tulare County town of Seville breached. Water swamped many properties and overtopped several drinking water wells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Homeowner Linda Guttierez, who also serves on the town’s water service district, poured bleach into her well to kill any pathogens that might have entered the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seville often doesn’t have enough water. Last summer and again in the early winter, farmers nearly depleted the community’s wells, she said. To get by, drinking water, paid for by the state, is delivered to residents. The community of about 600 people has also received a $1 million grant to drill a new, deeper well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/03/california-storm-reservoirs-flooding/\">the heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada\u003c/a>, visible from her yard, will soon melt, and more flooding is expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it, and you might get it all at once,” Guttierez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Water deliveries are a short-term fix\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Thomas Harter, UC Davis professor who co-authored the nitrate report for state officials, said the contamination will haunt at least another generation of Californians. That’s because the lag time between the application of fertilizer and its entry into groundwater basins can be many years, and decades more may pass before the nitrate reaches a well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if we were able to change how we manage agricultural fertilizer today, it would still take years or decades before wells actually see an improvement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In southwest Sonoma County, a few miles west of Petaluma, the local groundwater is unsafe to drink — and the source of the issue is plainly visible. Beef and dairy cows range freely over the watersheds and creek bottoms that drain toward Bodega Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their manure festers in muddy watering holes, and for locals in and around the small town of Valley Ford, this means living on bottled water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sdwis.waterboards.ca.gov/PDWW/JSP/WSamplingResultsByStoret.jsp?SystemNumber=4900568&tinwsys_is_number=4899&FacilityID=002&WSFNumber=9950&SamplingPointID=002&SystemName=VALLEY+FORD+WATER+ASSOCIATION&SamplingPointName=WELL+02&Analyte=&ChemicalName=&begin_date=&end_date=&mDWW=\">Sampling\u003c/a> of Valley Ford’s three main wells last June found nitrate at twice the federal drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter, and a few months earlier it was nearly triple, at 28. More recent sampling found it at almost 12, still enough to prompt a notice from the state warning residents that pregnant women and infants should not consume the water. Locals declined to discuss the issue with a CalMatters reporter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State programs to bring safe drinking water to communities affected by nitrate are now serving at least 1,048 households in the San Joaquin Valley and about another 300 in the Central Coast region. These initiatives include the \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/salinity/\">Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-term Sustainability program\u003c/a>, and the State Water Resources Control Board’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/caa/\">Cleanup and Abatement Account\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelsey Hinton, communications director for the Community Water Center, said bottled water deliveries must be provided for affected communities but said they should not be considered a long-term fix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a short-term, Band-Aid solution,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her organization advocates for projects that connect small communities to major surface water supplies or provide them with improved wells that tap into clean water — a resource that is guaranteed by state law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided as a state in 2012 that everybody deserves access to clean, affordable water,” Hinton said, referring to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/hr2w/\">Human Right to Water law\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most well-documented health impact associated with nitrate consumption is blue baby syndrome, or methemoglobinemia, a condition in which ingested nitrates can displace blood oxygen and cause suffocation. The federal standard for nitrate in drinking water, 10 milligrams per liter, is aimed at preventing blue baby syndrome.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even at concentrations below the blue baby threshold, \u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.29365\">nitrate may cause ovarian cancer\u003c/a>, according to 2015 research from the National Institutes of Health. Another study produced \u003ca href=\"https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP8205\">a similar conclusion for pregnant women and preterm births\u003c/a>. Nitrate also has been linked to bladder cancer, thyroid cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Awash in nitrogen from farms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If California’s historic winter successfully dilutes nitrate in some groundwater basins, these gains are likely to be lost to continued fertilizer use, future drought and groundwater overdraft, which can concentrate impurities in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2134/jeq2013.10.0411\">Nitrate is “the most ubiquitous pollutant of groundwater resources,”\u003c/a> UC Davis researchers reported in 2014, and it “is becoming more acute and is affecting larger areas and more people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nitrate loading in groundwater “presents \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/board_info/agendas/2017/march/item6/item6_ag_order_redline.pdf\">a significant threat to human health as pollution gets substantially worse each year (PDF)\u003c/a>,” the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board warned in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/groundwaternitrate/files/268749.pdf\">Synthetic fertilizers used for fruit trees and row crops are the biggest source of groundwater nitrate contamination (PDF)\u003c/a>, contributing nearly 60% of the problem in California, according to a 2017 report commissioned by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Dairy production is responsible for about 20%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harter of UC Davis calculated that \u003ca href=\"https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/17/groundwater-nitrate-sources-and-contamination-in-the-central-valley/\">nearly 1 million tons of nitrogen are applied to farmland in the Central Valley alone every year\u003c/a>. Roughly half is removed via harvest of crops, while some escapes into the atmosphere. That leaves an estimated 360,000 tons to percolate into the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Salinas Valley alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/board_info/agendas/2017/march/item6/item6_ag_order_redline.pdf\">tens of millions of pounds of nitrate enter groundwater basins every year from farms (PDF)\u003c/a>, according to a 2017 state estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fruit trees and row crops are the biggest source of groundwater nitrate contamination in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harter said farmers must “reduce the application of nitrogen” but that many err toward overfertilizing when calculating the nitrogen needs of their plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That may be changing. Parry Klassen, a peach and watermelon farmer near Reedley and executive director of a nitrate management organization called the \u003ca href=\"https://valleywaterc.org/about/\">Valley Water Collaborative\u003c/a>, said farmers are paying closer attention to the nitrate needs of their plants and how much they apply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Klassen said the days of gross fertilizer overloading are over, due in part to skyrocketing fertilizer costs — an economic outturn of the war in Ukraine. “The fine-tuning is what we’re working on now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A state program now 20 years old seeks to improve nitrate management on farms and reduce loading into soil and groundwater. Updated in 2012 to specifically address groundwater, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/irrigated_lands/background_history/\">Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program\u003c/a> requires all Central Valley farmers to report nitrogen application and crop harvest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea is to create an accurate nitrogen accounting system that tells state officials exactly how much nitrogen is threatening drinking water supplies, said Sue McConnell, who manages the program for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 25,000 farmers are now enrolled and submitting reports of the data, though clear trends in fertilizer use are not detectable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For farmers, applying exactly what a plant needs is a difficult task, according to several sources. Klassen said changes in the weather or other conditions can reduce a plant’s vigor and productivity during the growing season, causing it to uptake less nitrogen and leaving unused nitrogen in the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even under-fertilizing doesn’t necessarily work. It can stress plants, causing them to shut down and stop absorbing nitrogen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then you’re still overfertilizing,” said Harter of UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harter said California’s farmers have overall been improving — though not perfecting — their fertilizer efficiency in the past several decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he added that the explosion of California’s dairy industry late last century has offset those advances. “It’s created a huge manure surplus that the dairy industry is trying to deal with,” Harter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947263\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11947263\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-800x531.png\" alt=\"Cows on a dairy farm seen behind a gate.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-800x531.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-1020x676.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-1536x1019.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM.png 1550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dairy farm operation near Glenn on April 25, 2022. Dairies are responsible for about 20% of nitrate contamination of drinking water, according to one report. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Searching for solutions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Geoff Vanden Heuvel, director of regulatory and economic affairs at the Milk Producers Council, said the dairy industry is committed to finding solutions for people affected by nitrate in their water, and for reducing nitrate loading in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The dairy industry is going to be a contributor to finding long-term solutions for people who don’t have adequate or clean water to drink — that’s a genuine commitment,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s nitrate problem poses daunting challenges in how to sustainably grow food while protecting drinking water resources and ecosystems. Indeed, the dilemma is more complex than other issues surrounding agricultural pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is not as straightforward as going pesticide-free,” said Jennifer Clary, the California director of Clean Water Action. “You need fertilizer to grow crops.”[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Geoff Vanden Heuvel, director of regulatory and economic affairs, Milk Producers Council\"]‘The dairy industry is going to be a contributor to finding long-term solutions for people who don’t have adequate or clean water to drink — that’s a genuine commitment.’[/pullquote]One way to reduce fertilizer leaching is using what scientists refer to as “fertigation,” by which small and measured doses of fertilizer are applied via drip irrigation lines. Studies suggest this could help draw down groundwater nitrate levels over several decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://suscon.org/\">Sustainable Conservation\u003c/a>, a nonprofit, is studying the potential for turning manure into a liquid fertilizer in fertigation systems. Applied widely, this method could save 250 billion gallons of water and cut the the nitrogen loading to groundwater from fertilizer by 250 million pounds annually, said Ryan Flaherty, the company’s director of circular economies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groundwater recharge has shown promise for reducing nitrate contamination, particularly when focused on problem sites. But it takes almost biblical amounts of water. In a study conducted last year, Dahlke, Harter and their research teams spent four weeks dousing part of an almond orchard with 30 feet of water. That would be impossible to apply broadly, but it could be effective if used only where nitrate concentrations are very high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nor is flushing it into rivers or the ocean a fix. Nitrogen loading strips aquatic ecosystems of oxygen, creating \u003ca href=\"https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/deadzonegulf-2021/welcome.html\">nearly lifeless ocean dead zones like a giant one in the Gulf of Mexico\u003c/a>. Scientists say the Earth’s nitrogen overloading has crossed a key \u003ca href=\"https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/earth-has-crossed-several-planetary-boundaries-thresholds-human-induced-environmental-changes\">planetary boundary\u003c/a>, categorizing the crisis in the same ranks as climate change, mass extinction and deforestation.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"left\" citation=\"Jennifer Clary, California director, Clean Water Action\"]‘We don’t know whether a lot of recharge on these lands will make (nitrate contamination) worse or push it out.’[/pullquote]“They’ve been overfertilizing for 80 years, and we’ve spent 10 years trying to figure out how to control it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some water quality advocates see relatively simple solutions to nitrate contamination. Claiborne, for one, thinks California needs fewer cows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we’re going to have to see herd size reductions,” Claiborne said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said in a sustainable agriculture system, all or most of the manure generated by livestock would be applied as fertilizer to the crops used to feed them — a closed loop regime without excess or runoff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vanden Heuvel said that’s achievable, and something that dairy producers are rallying for. He said the industry produces a surplus of raw manure, which “you certainly don’t want to put on anything going into the human food chain … We’re trying to get this nitrogen repackaged so that it can be applied to more crops.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vanden Heuvel said the state’s dairy industry hasn’t grown in at least 12 years and that many dairy owners are already considering relocating to the Midwest, where feed is more available and water more abundant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clary said it’s just a matter of time before farmers pull back on applications of nitrogen to crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve been overfertilizing for 80 years, and we’ve spent 10 years trying to figure out how to control it,” Clary said. “It’s totally doable. If California can figure out how to be the biggest agricultural power in the world, we ought to be able to figure out how to do it without hurting people.”\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Nitrate contamination of well water has been a decades-long problem in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — and now stormwater has flushed more fertilizer and manure into aquifers.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1682036888,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":true,"iframeSrcs":["https://calmatters-map-wells-nitrate.netlify.app/"],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":69,"wordCount":2823},"headData":{"title":"After the Deluge: Floods May Taint More Drinking Water in California | KQED","description":"Nitrate contamination of well water has been a decades-long problem in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — and now stormwater has flushed more fertilizer and manure into aquifers.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"nprByline":"\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/alastair-bland/\">Alastair Bland\u003c/a>","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11947248/after-the-deluge-floods-may-taint-more-drinking-water-in-california","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When Kelli and Tim Hutten made an offer on a house in the quiet Monterey County town of Moss Landing last summer, they looked forward to mild weather, coastal views, trails along nearby wetlands and being a bit closer to family. Unfortunately, the Huttens also knew that something wasn’t right with the neighborhood’s groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We knew there were water contamination issues,” Kelli Hutten said. “During escrow we did as much research as we could, but there’s a lot to learn.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time they moved in with their newborn baby, the details were clear: Their private well water contained five times the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations\">federal government’s limit for nitrate\u003c/a>, which usually leaches from farms. The Huttens immediately signed up for \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/caa/\">delivery of drinking water, paid for by a state program\u003c/a>, and installed a filtration system. Nitrate in water can cause a dangerous circulatory condition in infants called blue baby syndrome, and it has been linked to cancer, too.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘We don’t know whether a lot of recharge on these lands will make (nitrate contamination) worse or push it out.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Patrick Pulupa, executive officer, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Huttens’ community in the Salinas Valley, one of the nation’s most productive farm areas, is just one of many towns in California plagued by nitrate contamination of drinking water. For decades, high levels have \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nitrate_project/\">contaminated groundwater basins throughout the state\u003c/a> — especially in disadvantaged farm communities in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — as well as much of the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/04/california-flooding-farms/\">this year’s heavy rains\u003c/a> may worsen this widespread contamination as fertilizer from crops and orchards and manure from ranches and dairy farms are flushed into underground water supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In agricultural regions, decades’ worth of fertilizers applied to orchards and row crops, and tons of cow manure stored in ponds, releases nitrogen into the ground. As much as 40% of nitrogen in fertilizer may eventually enter groundwater supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of households have wells contaminated with nitrate. For public water systems, about \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/groundwaternitrate/files/138956.pdf\">1 in every 10 water samples collected from 20,000 wells in the Tulare Lake Basin and the Salinas Valley exceeded the drinking water standard for nitrate (PDF)\u003c/a>, according to a 2012 UC Davis report to state officials. But the full scope of the problem is unknown, partly because \u003ca href=\"https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/17/groundwater-nitrate-sources-and-contamination-in-the-central-valley/\">Central Valley residents have an estimated 150,0000 private drinking water wells\u003c/a>, which are not routinely monitored for pollutants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 250,000 people served by public water systems or private wells in the Tulare basin and Salinas Valley “are currently at risk for nitrate contamination of their drinking water,” the report says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally \u003ca href=\"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19475683.2017.1346707\">40% of shallow wells\u003c/a> underlying farmland may exceed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/region8-waterops/nitrate-rule-maximum-contaminant-level-mcl-public-notification-template\">federal standard for nitrate\u003c/a> in drinking water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-map-wells-nitrate.netlify.app/?initialWidth=780&childId=pymcontain&parentTitle=Floods%20may%20taint%20more%20water%20in%20California%20farm%20towns%20-%20CalMatters&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fcalmatters.org%2Fenvironment%2F2023%2F04%2Fcalifornia-floods-contaminate-water-nitrate%2F\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a popular mantra among water-quality managers declares that “dilution is the solution to pollution,” it doesn’t always work that way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Helen Dahlke, UC Davis professor of integrated hydrologic sciences, said stormwater percolating into the ground will flush soil nitrates into groundwater basins, causing levels to jump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether the concentrations drop again soon “depends on how much clean water comes along on the back end,” she said. Flooding will probably provide enough water to dilute nitrate-tainted runoff, while groundwater basins recharged by rainfall alone are likely to remain elevated, she said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11946922,news_11945113","label":"Related Posts "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Michael Claiborne, attorney with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, which works with marginalized communities lacking clean water, is concerned that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/04/california-flooding-farms/\">farms now or recently flooded\u003c/a> have been swamped by filthy water that is now percolating into groundwater basins. These farms include Central Valley parcels intentionally flooded after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3.10.23-Ground-Water-Recharge.pdf?emrc=640bb2ea77e8d\">executive order (PDF)\u003c/a> on March 10 to encourage using stormwater to recharge \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/02/california-depleted-groundwater-storms/\">depleted groundwater\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of dairies that are completely flooded, and that includes the lagoons where they store their manure,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other groups, including the Community Water Center and Clean Water Action, have also raised concerns that the recent flooding of lands saturated with fertilizers and pesticide residues will contaminate groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patrick Pulupa, executive officer with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, said it’s unknown how flooding will affect basins underlying large dairy farms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t know whether a lot of recharge on these lands will make (nitrate contamination) worse or push it out,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some places, floodwaters have had clear and immediate impacts on groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In February, a levee protecting the small Tulare County town of Seville breached. Water swamped many properties and overtopped several drinking water wells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Homeowner Linda Guttierez, who also serves on the town’s water service district, poured bleach into her well to kill any pathogens that might have entered the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seville often doesn’t have enough water. Last summer and again in the early winter, farmers nearly depleted the community’s wells, she said. To get by, drinking water, paid for by the state, is delivered to residents. The community of about 600 people has also received a $1 million grant to drill a new, deeper well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/03/california-storm-reservoirs-flooding/\">the heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada\u003c/a>, visible from her yard, will soon melt, and more flooding is expected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it, and you might get it all at once,” Guttierez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Water deliveries are a short-term fix\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Thomas Harter, UC Davis professor who co-authored the nitrate report for state officials, said the contamination will haunt at least another generation of Californians. That’s because the lag time between the application of fertilizer and its entry into groundwater basins can be many years, and decades more may pass before the nitrate reaches a well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even if we were able to change how we manage agricultural fertilizer today, it would still take years or decades before wells actually see an improvement,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In southwest Sonoma County, a few miles west of Petaluma, the local groundwater is unsafe to drink — and the source of the issue is plainly visible. Beef and dairy cows range freely over the watersheds and creek bottoms that drain toward Bodega Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their manure festers in muddy watering holes, and for locals in and around the small town of Valley Ford, this means living on bottled water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sdwis.waterboards.ca.gov/PDWW/JSP/WSamplingResultsByStoret.jsp?SystemNumber=4900568&tinwsys_is_number=4899&FacilityID=002&WSFNumber=9950&SamplingPointID=002&SystemName=VALLEY+FORD+WATER+ASSOCIATION&SamplingPointName=WELL+02&Analyte=&ChemicalName=&begin_date=&end_date=&mDWW=\">Sampling\u003c/a> of Valley Ford’s three main wells last June found nitrate at twice the federal drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter, and a few months earlier it was nearly triple, at 28. More recent sampling found it at almost 12, still enough to prompt a notice from the state warning residents that pregnant women and infants should not consume the water. Locals declined to discuss the issue with a CalMatters reporter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State programs to bring safe drinking water to communities affected by nitrate are now serving at least 1,048 households in the San Joaquin Valley and about another 300 in the Central Coast region. These initiatives include the \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/salinity/\">Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-term Sustainability program\u003c/a>, and the State Water Resources Control Board’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/caa/\">Cleanup and Abatement Account\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kelsey Hinton, communications director for the Community Water Center, said bottled water deliveries must be provided for affected communities but said they should not be considered a long-term fix.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a short-term, Band-Aid solution,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her organization advocates for projects that connect small communities to major surface water supplies or provide them with improved wells that tap into clean water — a resource that is guaranteed by state law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided as a state in 2012 that everybody deserves access to clean, affordable water,” Hinton said, referring to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/hr2w/\">Human Right to Water law\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most well-documented health impact associated with nitrate consumption is blue baby syndrome, or methemoglobinemia, a condition in which ingested nitrates can displace blood oxygen and cause suffocation. The federal standard for nitrate in drinking water, 10 milligrams per liter, is aimed at preventing blue baby syndrome.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even at concentrations below the blue baby threshold, \u003ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.29365\">nitrate may cause ovarian cancer\u003c/a>, according to 2015 research from the National Institutes of Health. Another study produced \u003ca href=\"https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP8205\">a similar conclusion for pregnant women and preterm births\u003c/a>. Nitrate also has been linked to bladder cancer, thyroid cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Awash in nitrogen from farms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If California’s historic winter successfully dilutes nitrate in some groundwater basins, these gains are likely to be lost to continued fertilizer use, future drought and groundwater overdraft, which can concentrate impurities in the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2134/jeq2013.10.0411\">Nitrate is “the most ubiquitous pollutant of groundwater resources,”\u003c/a> UC Davis researchers reported in 2014, and it “is becoming more acute and is affecting larger areas and more people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nitrate loading in groundwater “presents \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/board_info/agendas/2017/march/item6/item6_ag_order_redline.pdf\">a significant threat to human health as pollution gets substantially worse each year (PDF)\u003c/a>,” the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board warned in 2017.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/groundwaternitrate/files/268749.pdf\">Synthetic fertilizers used for fruit trees and row crops are the biggest source of groundwater nitrate contamination (PDF)\u003c/a>, contributing nearly 60% of the problem in California, according to a 2017 report commissioned by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Dairy production is responsible for about 20%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harter of UC Davis calculated that \u003ca href=\"https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/17/groundwater-nitrate-sources-and-contamination-in-the-central-valley/\">nearly 1 million tons of nitrogen are applied to farmland in the Central Valley alone every year\u003c/a>. Roughly half is removed via harvest of crops, while some escapes into the atmosphere. That leaves an estimated 360,000 tons to percolate into the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Salinas Valley alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/board_info/agendas/2017/march/item6/item6_ag_order_redline.pdf\">tens of millions of pounds of nitrate enter groundwater basins every year from farms (PDF)\u003c/a>, according to a 2017 state estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fruit trees and row crops are the biggest source of groundwater nitrate contamination in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harter said farmers must “reduce the application of nitrogen” but that many err toward overfertilizing when calculating the nitrogen needs of their plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That may be changing. Parry Klassen, a peach and watermelon farmer near Reedley and executive director of a nitrate management organization called the \u003ca href=\"https://valleywaterc.org/about/\">Valley Water Collaborative\u003c/a>, said farmers are paying closer attention to the nitrate needs of their plants and how much they apply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Klassen said the days of gross fertilizer overloading are over, due in part to skyrocketing fertilizer costs — an economic outturn of the war in Ukraine. “The fine-tuning is what we’re working on now,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A state program now 20 years old seeks to improve nitrate management on farms and reduce loading into soil and groundwater. Updated in 2012 to specifically address groundwater, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/irrigated_lands/background_history/\">Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program\u003c/a> requires all Central Valley farmers to report nitrogen application and crop harvest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea is to create an accurate nitrogen accounting system that tells state officials exactly how much nitrogen is threatening drinking water supplies, said Sue McConnell, who manages the program for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 25,000 farmers are now enrolled and submitting reports of the data, though clear trends in fertilizer use are not detectable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For farmers, applying exactly what a plant needs is a difficult task, according to several sources. Klassen said changes in the weather or other conditions can reduce a plant’s vigor and productivity during the growing season, causing it to uptake less nitrogen and leaving unused nitrogen in the soil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even under-fertilizing doesn’t necessarily work. It can stress plants, causing them to shut down and stop absorbing nitrogen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then you’re still overfertilizing,” said Harter of UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harter said California’s farmers have overall been improving — though not perfecting — their fertilizer efficiency in the past several decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, he added that the explosion of California’s dairy industry late last century has offset those advances. “It’s created a huge manure surplus that the dairy industry is trying to deal with,” Harter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947263\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11947263\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-800x531.png\" alt=\"Cows on a dairy farm seen behind a gate.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-800x531.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-1020x676.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM-1536x1019.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-20-at-4.21.42-PM.png 1550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dairy farm operation near Glenn on April 25, 2022. Dairies are responsible for about 20% of nitrate contamination of drinking water, according to one report. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Searching for solutions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Geoff Vanden Heuvel, director of regulatory and economic affairs at the Milk Producers Council, said the dairy industry is committed to finding solutions for people affected by nitrate in their water, and for reducing nitrate loading in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The dairy industry is going to be a contributor to finding long-term solutions for people who don’t have adequate or clean water to drink — that’s a genuine commitment,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s nitrate problem poses daunting challenges in how to sustainably grow food while protecting drinking water resources and ecosystems. Indeed, the dilemma is more complex than other issues surrounding agricultural pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is not as straightforward as going pesticide-free,” said Jennifer Clary, the California director of Clean Water Action. “You need fertilizer to grow crops.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘The dairy industry is going to be a contributor to finding long-term solutions for people who don’t have adequate or clean water to drink — that’s a genuine commitment.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Geoff Vanden Heuvel, director of regulatory and economic affairs, Milk Producers Council","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One way to reduce fertilizer leaching is using what scientists refer to as “fertigation,” by which small and measured doses of fertilizer are applied via drip irrigation lines. Studies suggest this could help draw down groundwater nitrate levels over several decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://suscon.org/\">Sustainable Conservation\u003c/a>, a nonprofit, is studying the potential for turning manure into a liquid fertilizer in fertigation systems. Applied widely, this method could save 250 billion gallons of water and cut the the nitrogen loading to groundwater from fertilizer by 250 million pounds annually, said Ryan Flaherty, the company’s director of circular economies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groundwater recharge has shown promise for reducing nitrate contamination, particularly when focused on problem sites. But it takes almost biblical amounts of water. In a study conducted last year, Dahlke, Harter and their research teams spent four weeks dousing part of an almond orchard with 30 feet of water. That would be impossible to apply broadly, but it could be effective if used only where nitrate concentrations are very high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nor is flushing it into rivers or the ocean a fix. Nitrogen loading strips aquatic ecosystems of oxygen, creating \u003ca href=\"https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/deadzonegulf-2021/welcome.html\">nearly lifeless ocean dead zones like a giant one in the Gulf of Mexico\u003c/a>. Scientists say the Earth’s nitrogen overloading has crossed a key \u003ca href=\"https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/earth-has-crossed-several-planetary-boundaries-thresholds-human-induced-environmental-changes\">planetary boundary\u003c/a>, categorizing the crisis in the same ranks as climate change, mass extinction and deforestation.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘We don’t know whether a lot of recharge on these lands will make (nitrate contamination) worse or push it out.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"left","citation":"Jennifer Clary, California director, Clean Water Action","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“They’ve been overfertilizing for 80 years, and we’ve spent 10 years trying to figure out how to control it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some water quality advocates see relatively simple solutions to nitrate contamination. Claiborne, for one, thinks California needs fewer cows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we’re going to have to see herd size reductions,” Claiborne said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said in a sustainable agriculture system, all or most of the manure generated by livestock would be applied as fertilizer to the crops used to feed them — a closed loop regime without excess or runoff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vanden Heuvel said that’s achievable, and something that dairy producers are rallying for. He said the industry produces a surplus of raw manure, which “you certainly don’t want to put on anything going into the human food chain … We’re trying to get this nitrogen repackaged so that it can be applied to more crops.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vanden Heuvel said the state’s dairy industry hasn’t grown in at least 12 years and that many dairy owners are already considering relocating to the Midwest, where feed is more available and water more abundant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Clary said it’s just a matter of time before farmers pull back on applications of nitrogen to crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve been overfertilizing for 80 years, and we’ve spent 10 years trying to figure out how to control it,” Clary said. “It’s totally doable. If California can figure out how to be the biggest agricultural power in the world, we ought to be able to figure out how to do it without hurting people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11947248/after-the-deluge-floods-may-taint-more-drinking-water-in-california","authors":["byline_news_11947248"],"categories":["news_8"],"tags":["news_19232","news_5892","news_32655","news_32656"],"affiliates":["news_18481"],"featImg":"news_11947262","label":"news_18481"},"news_11940344":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11940344","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11940344","score":null,"sort":[1675815039000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"rain-brings-little-relief-to-californias-depleted-groundwater","title":"Rain Brings Little Relief to Californias Depleted Groundwater","publishDate":1675815039,"format":"standard","headTitle":"KQED News","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>The powerful storms that clobbered California for weeks in December and January dropped trillions of gallons of water, flooding many communities and farms. But throughout the state, the rains have done little to nourish the underground supplies that are critical sources of California’s drinking water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of people in the San Joaquin Valley have seen their wells go dry after years of prolonged drought and overpumping of aquifers. And a two-week deluge — or even a wet winter — will not bring them relief.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Jeanine Jones, drought manager, state Department of Water Resources\"]'Just one wet year is nowhere near large enough to refill the amount of groundwater storage that we've lost, say, over the last 10 years or more.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in January, as California’s rivers flooded thousands of acres, state officials received reports of \u003ca href=\"https://mydrywatersupply.water.ca.gov/report/publicpage;jsessionid=865A4CFBB7689EA1A8EDDFC69273D1A0\">more than 30 well outages\u003c/a>, adding to more than 5,000 dry residential wells reported statewide in the past decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just one wet year is nowhere near large enough to refill the amount of groundwater storage that we’ve lost, say, over the last 10 years or more,” said Jeanine Jones, drought manager with the state Department of Water Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water from heavy rains can reach shallow groundwater basins in a matter of days, but in places where wells must pump from deep underground aquifers — like those in the San Joaquin Valley — this can take months. And even a season’s worth of storms is not usually enough to restore wells left high and dry by years of what's called \"overdraft.\"[aside postID=\"news_11938215,science_1981077,news_11925400\" label=\"Related Posts\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Restoring California’s groundwater is not as simple as waiting for rain and letting it seep into the ground. It requires detailed planning and scientific analysis of project sites, and uses tens of millions of dollars in state funds. Land has to be purchased or growers must be compensated for flooding their fields. And it also means that growers — and, to a lesser extent, communities — must reduce the water they pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lawr.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/fogg-graham\">Graham Fogg\u003c/a>, a UC Davis professor of hydrogeology, said the recent rainfall could substantially help minimally affected areas, like much of the Sacramento basin, where groundwater tables are only 25 to 30 feet down. But it’s a far different story in the San Joaquin Valley, where the \u003ca href=\"https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b3886b33b49c4fa8adf2ae8bdd8f16c3\">water table\u003c/a> is 100 to 300 feet down, even 700 feet in some places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s where most of the dried-up wells have occurred,” Fogg said, “and that’s where it will take years, maybe decades, of not only managed aquifer recharge, but also reduced pumping from wells, to raise groundwater levels back to more appropriate elevations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to state officials and other groundwater experts, most wells in the San Joaquin Valley have virtually no chance of recovering unless groundwater pumping is drastically curbed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen about 2,000 wells go dry, and we don’t see wells recover on their own,” said Tami McVay, director of emergency services for \u003ca href=\"https://www.selfhelpenterprises.org/\">Self-Help Enterprises\u003c/a>, a San Joaquin Valley nonprofit that provides funding to residents who need new wells. “They sometimes recover for a couple of days, but then they go dry again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Groundwater is liquid gold\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Groundwater is among California’s most precious natural resources, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/groundwater-in-california/#:~:text=Groundwater%20is%20a%20vital%20component%20of%20California%E2%80%99s%20water,groundwater%20for%20some%20portion%20of%20their%20water%20supply.\">providing about 40% of the water consumed in most years\u003c/a>. It is an inexpensive, local source in a state where many cities rely on imported water and rural towns have no other sources. And its importance is magnified in dry years, when reservoirs fed by rivers are depleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater reserves have been relentlessly pumped by farmers for decades. Tens of millions of acre-feet have been pumped from the ground, causing the water table to steadily drop and \u003ca href=\"https://mydrywell.water.ca.gov/report/publicpage\">thousands of wells to go dry\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A handful of communities, largely home to lower-income Latino residents, have run out of water, forcing people to use bottled water for everything. The true scope of the problem, in fact, may be underestimated, since many dewatered wells are unreported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Porterville, Tooleville, Tombstone Territory, Fairmead, Lanare and Riverdale are just a few of the San Joaquin Valley communities that have been hit hard with dry wells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s so much political pressure to maintain the status quo, and to continue pumping, because it’s tied up with economic profits. And the end result is community members who can’t rely on their wells for safe water,” said Tien Tran, policy advocate with the group \u003ca href=\"https://www.communitywatercenter.org/staff\">Community Water Center\u003c/a>, which advocates for water equity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-water-dashboard.netlify.app/graphics/households?initialWidth=780&childId=pym_water-dashboard__house-shortages&parentTitle=Rainstorms%20can%E2%80%99t%20fix%20California%E2%80%99s%20depleted%20groundwater%20-%20CalMatters&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fcalmatters.org%2Fenvironment%2Fwater%2F2023%2F02%2Fcalifornia-depleted-groundwater-storms%2F\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost a decade ago, California enacted a law that is supposed to protect groundwater reserves from overpumping: The \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management\">Sustainable Groundwater Management Act\u003c/a> requires local groundwater agencies to halt long-term depletion and achieve sustainability, defined by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\">specific criteria\u003c/a>. But the deadlines are almost 20 years away, and basins are still being overdrafted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Joaquin Valley’s major groundwater basins are designated \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Basin-Prioritization/Files/CODBasins_websitemapPAO_a_20y.pdf\">critically overdrafted (PDF)\u003c/a> by the California Department of Water Resources. A year ago, the agency \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\">rejected the region’s groundwater sustainabilit\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calmatters.org/…/groundwater-plans-inadequate\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\">y plans\u003c/a> on the grounds that they inadequately considered the needs of residential wells, among other impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water strategy released last August called for \u003ca href=\"https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Water-Resilience/CA-Water-Supply-Strategy.pdf\">increasing groundwater recharge (PDF)\u003c/a> by an average of half a million acre-feet each year. On Jan. 13, state water agencies announced a program to expedite approval of recharge projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said the voluminous mountain snowpack dumped in January offers a prime opportunity, and a time-sensitive one, to recharge aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve got a heck of a lot of snow in the Central Sierra,” she said. “That snow is going to melt, and we want the local water districts to be positioned to capture some of that excess snowmelt and get it underground.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The quest to store rainwater underground\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Compelled in part by state law, and often supported by millions in state funds, some farmers and other land managers have dug large recharge basins to capture stormwater and allow it to sink. Cities design similar projects, and in recent months alone, they’ve put tens of thousands of acre-feet of water into underground storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While not enough on their own to reverse overdraft, these programs could serve as models for scaling up recharge efforts statewide.[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Graham Fogg, professor of hydrogeology, UC Davis\"]'Overall water levels have been dropping, and until it's reversed, we're going to keep getting dry wells.'[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Tulare Irrigation District, for instance, stormwater during high flows is diverted into 1,300 acres of ponds used to recharge groundwater. In addition, in a new program launched last year, farmers who sink water into their fields during storms can get it back later, during dry periods. General Manager Aaron Fukuda said it has motivated dozens of landowners to take part this winter. As of Feb. 3, the district was bringing in water at a rate of 1,500 acre-feet daily, mostly to be deposited in the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The actions our district took last year are paying dividends this year,” Fukuda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940353\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11940353 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-800x530.png\" alt=\"An Asian man stands near a pond wearing a green vest and dark pants.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-800x530.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-1020x676.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-1536x1017.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM.png 1552w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tulare Irrigation District General Manager Aaron Fukuda stands near the Cordeniz basin, a pond outside Tulare used to recharge groundwater. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>About 40 miles to the north, the Fresno Irrigation District has captured at least 9,000 acre-feet of water since December, according to Kassy Chauhan, executive director of the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which manages the district’s groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of this water was diverted into some 900 acres of basins, including 180 acres that were recently constructed. The Fresno district spent millions buying former farmland and forming these basins, which are basically bulldozed depressions ringed by earthen berms made for the express purpose of depositing water underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were able to capture that water in those basins,” Chauhan said. “It was clear progress.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another example of a recharge project is the Pajaro River Valley, on the Central Coast. The local water agency has collaborated with researchers to identify potential recharge hot spots and carve out infiltration basins. One has been in operation for 20 years, and more are coming. The goal, said Brian Lockwood, general manager of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, is to enroll farmers in a rebate program that pays them for flooding their land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these types of efforts, even applied broadly, will have only a limited impact. Managed aquifer recharge using local water could potentially recover just 3% to 8% of the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater overdraft, according to 2020 research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Davis Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering \u003ca href=\"https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/people/jay-lund\">Jay Lund\u003c/a> said, while he endorses groundwater recharge projects, there is a better way to lessen the Central Valley’s water woes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to reduce demand,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem is that farmers are still pumping water out of the ground faster than it’s going back in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts have predicted that the state groundwater law could eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/ppic-review-of-groundwater-sustainability-plans-in-the-san-joaquin-valley.pdf\">force as many as 750,000 acres of farmland out of production (PDF)\u003c/a>, permanently easing demands on the state’s water supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groundwater agencies tend to “emphasize solutions on the supply side, and relatively little on the demand side … and the supply numbers do not add up,” according to a 2020 analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California, or PPIC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In much of the Tulare Irrigation District, the groundwater table sits at a record low elevation of 180 feet underground, and Fukuda said the district’s sustainability plan — required by the state’s groundwater law and developed by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.midkaweah.org/\">Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency\u003c/a> — allows for the water table to dip a bit farther before leveling off. The North Kings agency, according to Chauhan, is also allowing some continued decline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to data from more than 1,200 San Joaquin Valley \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Data-and-Tools/Files/Maps/Groundwater-Level-Change/DOTMAPS/Spring/DOTMAP_S2021-S2001.pdf\">monitoring wells (PDF)\u003c/a>, the water table has been dropping for at least two decades, in many places more than 2.5 feet per year on average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940354\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11940354\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-800x533.png\" alt=\"A pond seen near rocks.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-800x533.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-1020x680.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-160x107.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-1536x1023.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM.png 1546w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cordeniz basin outside of Tulare is a pond that the water agency uses to help recharge the aquifer. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The groundwater plans that the state rejected last year were revised and resubmitted in July, and the state is expected to announce their next round of San Joaquin Valley assessments within two months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water equity activists who have studied the revised plans say they’re not impressed by the changes made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We still found that these plans are not taking adequate steps to protect drinking water users in the basins,” said \u003ca href=\"https://leadershipcounsel.org/team/nataly-escobedo-garcia/\">Nataly Escobeda Garcia\u003c/a>, policy coordinator for water programs with the NGO Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “We anticipate that numerous domestic wells and public water systems will still be at risk of dewatering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Community Water Center has predicted that almost 500 domestic wells that draw from the Kaweah Subbasin, in the southeast San Joaquin Valley, could go dry under the new plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Domestic wells are disproportionately impacted,” Tran said. Tulare County alone has seen 1,810 wells go dry since 2014, according to the state reporting system. All but two were labeled “household.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Replenishing groundwater has limits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With or without human intervention, water sinks into the earth. Natural, or passive, recharge is the process by which \u003ca href=\"https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ff075c25b77e4b1d95ce86a82bf0fe96\">hundreds of millions of acre-feet of water have accumulated in California’s shallow basins and deep aquifers\u003c/a>. Recent research from NASA found that as much as \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022GL099583\">4 million acre-feet yearly may seep beneath the Central Valley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this doesn’t necessarily make a big difference. While the water can generate quick spurts of rebound of the water table, these post-rain gains — at least in the San Joaquin Valley — tend to be erased, plus some, by subsequent dry spells and continued pumping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35582-x/figures/6\">one-step-up-two-steps-down trajectory of groundwater decline\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Overall water levels have been dropping, and until it’s reversed, we’re going to keep getting dry wells,” Fogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even extremely wet periods have had only temporary benefits in the San Joaquin Valley. After the record wet 2017 winter, the \u003ca href=\"https://wdl.water.ca.gov/WaterDataLibrary/GroundwaterBrowseData.aspx?SelectedCounties=&SiteCode=362981N1196189W001&LocalWellNumber=&StationId=47904&SelectedGWBasins=&StateWellNumber=\">water table jumped\u003c/a> — in some places dramatically — but quickly dropped again, continuing the decline. Today more than half of the \u003ca href=\"https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b3886b33b49c4fa8adf2ae8bdd8f16c3\">monitoring wells\u003c/a> in Tulare County are at all-time low water levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Active recharge programs generated about 6.5 million acre-feet in the San Joaquin Valley alone in 2017, according to a report by the PPIC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have lots of active recharge already,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/person/ellen-hanak/\">Ellen Hanak\u003c/a>, vice president and director of PPIC's Water Policy Center. “The question is, with [the groundwater law], can we up our game?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Gosselin, the Department of Water Resources’ deputy director of sustainable groundwater management, said 42 recharge projects underway with $68 million in state support could add 117,000 acre-feet of water storage to the state’s aquifers — a big step toward meeting the governor’s half-million acre-foot goal. He said the department has $250 million available to support more recharge work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Changing climate makes this work all the more urgent. The state’s system of capturing and storing water in reservoirs was designed in part around snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. But as the climate warms, mountain snowpack is becoming scarcer. It is melting faster and earlier, and more precipitation is falling as rain in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s existing reservoirs don’t have the capacity to store so much liquid water at once, but its aquifers do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Groundwater recharge will be a good way to compensate for that change,” Hanak said. But, she said, “there is a major time constraint — you’ve got to be able to get that water out there fast, because it’s coming down fast.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Randy Fiorini, a Merced County farmer and former chair of the Delta Stewardship Council, thinks the slow pace of aquifer percolation is an obstacle that can only be addressed by building small holding reservoirs to capture stormwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From there, you would meter it into a groundwater basin,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Urban success stories\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In urban areas, maintaining groundwater is easier than in farm communities. But it takes active management.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Orange County Water District provides water for the 2.5 million people who live in the northern half of the county. Despite minimal rainfall, it has relatively little reliance on imported supplies and uses a unique groundwater storage system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third of its water comes from the Santa Ana River, which originates in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows through San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The Inland Empire discharges voluminous amounts of treated wastewater into the river as it flows into Orange County, where it is deposited into ponds that recharge the aquifer, according to Roy Herndon, the district’s chief hydrogeologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another third comes from natural rainfall plus imported Colorado River water. The rest is wastewater that is used to refill the aquifer after undergoing treatment so advanced that it meets or exceeds all drinking water standards, making it “essentially potable,” Herndon said. Built 15 years ago, the plant can produce 130 million gallons per day, enough water for about 400,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, the Orange County Water District has 1,100 acres of recharge basins, which collectively absorb an average of 250,000 acre-feet of stormwater and runoff annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11940355 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-800x529.png\" alt=\"A white man standing outside wearing glasses, a black coat, dark jeans and brown shoes.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-800x529.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-1020x674.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM.png 1144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roy Herndon, chief hydrogeologist at the Orange County Water District, at the La Palma Recharge Basin in Anaheim on Jan. 26, 2023. \u003ccite>(Bing Guan/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Sonoma County, the local water agency is using a $6.9 million state grant to inject surplus water from the Russian River hundreds of feet underground. The project could enter its initial pilot phase next winter and eventually produce 500 acre-feet of water each year. If successful, other similar projects could follow, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2018, Los Angeles County voters passed Measure W, which created a new tax on the owners of impermeable surfaces that direct water into storm drains leading to the ocean. Each year since its introduction, \u003ca href=\"https://safecleanwaterla.org/estimated-revenues-2/\">the tax has generated about $280 million in funds\u003c/a> for use in supporting stormwater projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since October, the county has captured more than 143,000 acre-feet of stormwater in reservoirs and groundwater basins, according to Lisette Guzman, public information officer with Los Angeles County Public Works. That’s enough water, she said, to support more than a million residents for a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lund says the physical limitations of moving and handling surface water mean groundwater recharge projects cannot fix most of the state’s well problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No matter how much [recharge] you do, you aren’t going to get more than 15% of the groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley,” Lund said. “That’s good, and you should do as much as you can economically, but you still have 80, 90% of the problem left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gosselin, at the state water agency, is more optimistic, citing the new research, laws, funding and priorities in managing groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the novel “East of Eden,” John Steinbeck described Californians’ tendency to forget about wet times when it’s dry and drought when it rains. But Gosselin said growers and water agencies are now planning ahead, rain or shine, to capture and store water in the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need resiliency from climate change,” he said. “And I don’t think people are going to forget about either right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"Communities, largely home to lower-income Latino residents, still have dry wells. Restoring groundwater takes decades, with costly, long-term replenishment projects — and, ultimately, much less pumping.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1675818579,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":true,"iframeSrcs":["https://calmatters-water-dashboard.netlify.app/graphics/households"],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":70,"wordCount":3033},"headData":{"title":"Rain Brings Little Relief to Californias Depleted Groundwater | KQED","description":"Communities, largely home to lower-income Latino residents, still have dry wells. Restoring groundwater takes decades, with costly, long-term replenishment projects — and, ultimately, much less pumping.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"source":"CalMatters","sourceUrl":"https://calmatters.org/","nprByline":"Alastair Bland","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11940344/rain-brings-little-relief-to-californias-depleted-groundwater","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The powerful storms that clobbered California for weeks in December and January dropped trillions of gallons of water, flooding many communities and farms. But throughout the state, the rains have done little to nourish the underground supplies that are critical sources of California’s drinking water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of people in the San Joaquin Valley have seen their wells go dry after years of prolonged drought and overpumping of aquifers. And a two-week deluge — or even a wet winter — will not bring them relief.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'Just one wet year is nowhere near large enough to refill the amount of groundwater storage that we've lost, say, over the last 10 years or more.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Jeanine Jones, drought manager, state Department of Water Resources","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in January, as California’s rivers flooded thousands of acres, state officials received reports of \u003ca href=\"https://mydrywatersupply.water.ca.gov/report/publicpage;jsessionid=865A4CFBB7689EA1A8EDDFC69273D1A0\">more than 30 well outages\u003c/a>, adding to more than 5,000 dry residential wells reported statewide in the past decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just one wet year is nowhere near large enough to refill the amount of groundwater storage that we’ve lost, say, over the last 10 years or more,” said Jeanine Jones, drought manager with the state Department of Water Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water from heavy rains can reach shallow groundwater basins in a matter of days, but in places where wells must pump from deep underground aquifers — like those in the San Joaquin Valley — this can take months. And even a season’s worth of storms is not usually enough to restore wells left high and dry by years of what's called \"overdraft.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11938215,science_1981077,news_11925400","label":"Related Posts "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Restoring California’s groundwater is not as simple as waiting for rain and letting it seep into the ground. It requires detailed planning and scientific analysis of project sites, and uses tens of millions of dollars in state funds. Land has to be purchased or growers must be compensated for flooding their fields. And it also means that growers — and, to a lesser extent, communities — must reduce the water they pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.lawr.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/fogg-graham\">Graham Fogg\u003c/a>, a UC Davis professor of hydrogeology, said the recent rainfall could substantially help minimally affected areas, like much of the Sacramento basin, where groundwater tables are only 25 to 30 feet down. But it’s a far different story in the San Joaquin Valley, where the \u003ca href=\"https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b3886b33b49c4fa8adf2ae8bdd8f16c3\">water table\u003c/a> is 100 to 300 feet down, even 700 feet in some places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s where most of the dried-up wells have occurred,” Fogg said, “and that’s where it will take years, maybe decades, of not only managed aquifer recharge, but also reduced pumping from wells, to raise groundwater levels back to more appropriate elevations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to state officials and other groundwater experts, most wells in the San Joaquin Valley have virtually no chance of recovering unless groundwater pumping is drastically curbed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen about 2,000 wells go dry, and we don’t see wells recover on their own,” said Tami McVay, director of emergency services for \u003ca href=\"https://www.selfhelpenterprises.org/\">Self-Help Enterprises\u003c/a>, a San Joaquin Valley nonprofit that provides funding to residents who need new wells. “They sometimes recover for a couple of days, but then they go dry again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Groundwater is liquid gold\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Groundwater is among California’s most precious natural resources, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/groundwater-in-california/#:~:text=Groundwater%20is%20a%20vital%20component%20of%20California%E2%80%99s%20water,groundwater%20for%20some%20portion%20of%20their%20water%20supply.\">providing about 40% of the water consumed in most years\u003c/a>. It is an inexpensive, local source in a state where many cities rely on imported water and rural towns have no other sources. And its importance is magnified in dry years, when reservoirs fed by rivers are depleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater reserves have been relentlessly pumped by farmers for decades. Tens of millions of acre-feet have been pumped from the ground, causing the water table to steadily drop and \u003ca href=\"https://mydrywell.water.ca.gov/report/publicpage\">thousands of wells to go dry\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A handful of communities, largely home to lower-income Latino residents, have run out of water, forcing people to use bottled water for everything. The true scope of the problem, in fact, may be underestimated, since many dewatered wells are unreported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>East Porterville, Tooleville, Tombstone Territory, Fairmead, Lanare and Riverdale are just a few of the San Joaquin Valley communities that have been hit hard with dry wells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s so much political pressure to maintain the status quo, and to continue pumping, because it’s tied up with economic profits. And the end result is community members who can’t rely on their wells for safe water,” said Tien Tran, policy advocate with the group \u003ca href=\"https://www.communitywatercenter.org/staff\">Community Water Center\u003c/a>, which advocates for water equity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://calmatters-water-dashboard.netlify.app/graphics/households?initialWidth=780&childId=pym_water-dashboard__house-shortages&parentTitle=Rainstorms%20can%E2%80%99t%20fix%20California%E2%80%99s%20depleted%20groundwater%20-%20CalMatters&parentUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fcalmatters.org%2Fenvironment%2Fwater%2F2023%2F02%2Fcalifornia-depleted-groundwater-storms%2F\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost a decade ago, California enacted a law that is supposed to protect groundwater reserves from overpumping: The \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management\">Sustainable Groundwater Management Act\u003c/a> requires local groundwater agencies to halt long-term depletion and achieve sustainability, defined by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\">specific criteria\u003c/a>. But the deadlines are almost 20 years away, and basins are still being overdrafted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Joaquin Valley’s major groundwater basins are designated \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Basin-Prioritization/Files/CODBasins_websitemapPAO_a_20y.pdf\">critically overdrafted (PDF)\u003c/a> by the California Department of Water Resources. A year ago, the agency \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\">rejected the region’s groundwater sustainabilit\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">calmatters.org/…/groundwater-plans-inadequate\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2021/11/groundwater-plans-inadequate/\">y plans\u003c/a> on the grounds that they inadequately considered the needs of residential wells, among other impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water strategy released last August called for \u003ca href=\"https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Water-Resilience/CA-Water-Supply-Strategy.pdf\">increasing groundwater recharge (PDF)\u003c/a> by an average of half a million acre-feet each year. On Jan. 13, state water agencies announced a program to expedite approval of recharge projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said the voluminous mountain snowpack dumped in January offers a prime opportunity, and a time-sensitive one, to recharge aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve got a heck of a lot of snow in the Central Sierra,” she said. “That snow is going to melt, and we want the local water districts to be positioned to capture some of that excess snowmelt and get it underground.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The quest to store rainwater underground\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Compelled in part by state law, and often supported by millions in state funds, some farmers and other land managers have dug large recharge basins to capture stormwater and allow it to sink. Cities design similar projects, and in recent months alone, they’ve put tens of thousands of acre-feet of water into underground storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While not enough on their own to reverse overdraft, these programs could serve as models for scaling up recharge efforts statewide.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'Overall water levels have been dropping, and until it's reversed, we're going to keep getting dry wells.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"medium","align":"right","citation":"Graham Fogg, professor of hydrogeology, UC Davis","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Tulare Irrigation District, for instance, stormwater during high flows is diverted into 1,300 acres of ponds used to recharge groundwater. In addition, in a new program launched last year, farmers who sink water into their fields during storms can get it back later, during dry periods. General Manager Aaron Fukuda said it has motivated dozens of landowners to take part this winter. As of Feb. 3, the district was bringing in water at a rate of 1,500 acre-feet daily, mostly to be deposited in the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The actions our district took last year are paying dividends this year,” Fukuda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940353\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11940353 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-800x530.png\" alt=\"An Asian man stands near a pond wearing a green vest and dark pants.\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-800x530.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-1020x676.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM-1536x1017.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.22-AM.png 1552w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tulare Irrigation District General Manager Aaron Fukuda stands near the Cordeniz basin, a pond outside Tulare used to recharge groundwater. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>About 40 miles to the north, the Fresno Irrigation District has captured at least 9,000 acre-feet of water since December, according to Kassy Chauhan, executive director of the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which manages the district’s groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of this water was diverted into some 900 acres of basins, including 180 acres that were recently constructed. The Fresno district spent millions buying former farmland and forming these basins, which are basically bulldozed depressions ringed by earthen berms made for the express purpose of depositing water underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were able to capture that water in those basins,” Chauhan said. “It was clear progress.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another example of a recharge project is the Pajaro River Valley, on the Central Coast. The local water agency has collaborated with researchers to identify potential recharge hot spots and carve out infiltration basins. One has been in operation for 20 years, and more are coming. The goal, said Brian Lockwood, general manager of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, is to enroll farmers in a rebate program that pays them for flooding their land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these types of efforts, even applied broadly, will have only a limited impact. Managed aquifer recharge using local water could potentially recover just 3% to 8% of the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater overdraft, according to 2020 research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Davis Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering \u003ca href=\"https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/people/jay-lund\">Jay Lund\u003c/a> said, while he endorses groundwater recharge projects, there is a better way to lessen the Central Valley’s water woes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have to reduce demand,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem is that farmers are still pumping water out of the ground faster than it’s going back in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts have predicted that the state groundwater law could eventually \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/ppic-review-of-groundwater-sustainability-plans-in-the-san-joaquin-valley.pdf\">force as many as 750,000 acres of farmland out of production (PDF)\u003c/a>, permanently easing demands on the state’s water supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groundwater agencies tend to “emphasize solutions on the supply side, and relatively little on the demand side … and the supply numbers do not add up,” according to a 2020 analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California, or PPIC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In much of the Tulare Irrigation District, the groundwater table sits at a record low elevation of 180 feet underground, and Fukuda said the district’s sustainability plan — required by the state’s groundwater law and developed by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.midkaweah.org/\">Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency\u003c/a> — allows for the water table to dip a bit farther before leveling off. The North Kings agency, according to Chauhan, is also allowing some continued decline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to data from more than 1,200 San Joaquin Valley \u003ca href=\"https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Groundwater-Management/Data-and-Tools/Files/Maps/Groundwater-Level-Change/DOTMAPS/Spring/DOTMAP_S2021-S2001.pdf\">monitoring wells (PDF)\u003c/a>, the water table has been dropping for at least two decades, in many places more than 2.5 feet per year on average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940354\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11940354\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-800x533.png\" alt=\"A pond seen near rocks.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-800x533.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-1020x680.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-160x107.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM-1536x1023.png 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.30-AM.png 1546w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cordeniz basin outside of Tulare is a pond that the water agency uses to help recharge the aquifer. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The groundwater plans that the state rejected last year were revised and resubmitted in July, and the state is expected to announce their next round of San Joaquin Valley assessments within two months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water equity activists who have studied the revised plans say they’re not impressed by the changes made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We still found that these plans are not taking adequate steps to protect drinking water users in the basins,” said \u003ca href=\"https://leadershipcounsel.org/team/nataly-escobedo-garcia/\">Nataly Escobeda Garcia\u003c/a>, policy coordinator for water programs with the NGO Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “We anticipate that numerous domestic wells and public water systems will still be at risk of dewatering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Community Water Center has predicted that almost 500 domestic wells that draw from the Kaweah Subbasin, in the southeast San Joaquin Valley, could go dry under the new plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Domestic wells are disproportionately impacted,” Tran said. Tulare County alone has seen 1,810 wells go dry since 2014, according to the state reporting system. All but two were labeled “household.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Replenishing groundwater has limits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With or without human intervention, water sinks into the earth. Natural, or passive, recharge is the process by which \u003ca href=\"https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ff075c25b77e4b1d95ce86a82bf0fe96\">hundreds of millions of acre-feet of water have accumulated in California’s shallow basins and deep aquifers\u003c/a>. Recent research from NASA found that as much as \u003ca href=\"https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022GL099583\">4 million acre-feet yearly may seep beneath the Central Valley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this doesn’t necessarily make a big difference. While the water can generate quick spurts of rebound of the water table, these post-rain gains — at least in the San Joaquin Valley — tend to be erased, plus some, by subsequent dry spells and continued pumping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35582-x/figures/6\">one-step-up-two-steps-down trajectory of groundwater decline\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Overall water levels have been dropping, and until it’s reversed, we’re going to keep getting dry wells,” Fogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even extremely wet periods have had only temporary benefits in the San Joaquin Valley. After the record wet 2017 winter, the \u003ca href=\"https://wdl.water.ca.gov/WaterDataLibrary/GroundwaterBrowseData.aspx?SelectedCounties=&SiteCode=362981N1196189W001&LocalWellNumber=&StationId=47904&SelectedGWBasins=&StateWellNumber=\">water table jumped\u003c/a> — in some places dramatically — but quickly dropped again, continuing the decline. Today more than half of the \u003ca href=\"https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b3886b33b49c4fa8adf2ae8bdd8f16c3\">monitoring wells\u003c/a> in Tulare County are at all-time low water levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Active recharge programs generated about 6.5 million acre-feet in the San Joaquin Valley alone in 2017, according to a report by the PPIC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have lots of active recharge already,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/person/ellen-hanak/\">Ellen Hanak\u003c/a>, vice president and director of PPIC's Water Policy Center. “The question is, with [the groundwater law], can we up our game?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Paul Gosselin, the Department of Water Resources’ deputy director of sustainable groundwater management, said 42 recharge projects underway with $68 million in state support could add 117,000 acre-feet of water storage to the state’s aquifers — a big step toward meeting the governor’s half-million acre-foot goal. He said the department has $250 million available to support more recharge work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Changing climate makes this work all the more urgent. The state’s system of capturing and storing water in reservoirs was designed in part around snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. But as the climate warms, mountain snowpack is becoming scarcer. It is melting faster and earlier, and more precipitation is falling as rain in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s existing reservoirs don’t have the capacity to store so much liquid water at once, but its aquifers do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Groundwater recharge will be a good way to compensate for that change,” Hanak said. But, she said, “there is a major time constraint — you’ve got to be able to get that water out there fast, because it’s coming down fast.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Randy Fiorini, a Merced County farmer and former chair of the Delta Stewardship Council, thinks the slow pace of aquifer percolation is an obstacle that can only be addressed by building small holding reservoirs to capture stormwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From there, you would meter it into a groundwater basin,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Urban success stories\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In urban areas, maintaining groundwater is easier than in farm communities. But it takes active management.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Orange County Water District provides water for the 2.5 million people who live in the northern half of the county. Despite minimal rainfall, it has relatively little reliance on imported supplies and uses a unique groundwater storage system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third of its water comes from the Santa Ana River, which originates in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows through San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The Inland Empire discharges voluminous amounts of treated wastewater into the river as it flows into Orange County, where it is deposited into ponds that recharge the aquifer, according to Roy Herndon, the district’s chief hydrogeologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another third comes from natural rainfall plus imported Colorado River water. The rest is wastewater that is used to refill the aquifer after undergoing treatment so advanced that it meets or exceeds all drinking water standards, making it “essentially potable,” Herndon said. Built 15 years ago, the plant can produce 130 million gallons per day, enough water for about 400,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, the Orange County Water District has 1,100 acres of recharge basins, which collectively absorb an average of 250,000 acre-feet of stormwater and runoff annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11940355\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11940355 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-800x529.png\" alt=\"A white man standing outside wearing glasses, a black coat, dark jeans and brown shoes.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-800x529.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-1020x674.png 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM-160x106.png 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-07-at-11.22.44-AM.png 1144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roy Herndon, chief hydrogeologist at the Orange County Water District, at the La Palma Recharge Basin in Anaheim on Jan. 26, 2023. \u003ccite>(Bing Guan/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Sonoma County, the local water agency is using a $6.9 million state grant to inject surplus water from the Russian River hundreds of feet underground. The project could enter its initial pilot phase next winter and eventually produce 500 acre-feet of water each year. If successful, other similar projects could follow, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2018, Los Angeles County voters passed Measure W, which created a new tax on the owners of impermeable surfaces that direct water into storm drains leading to the ocean. Each year since its introduction, \u003ca href=\"https://safecleanwaterla.org/estimated-revenues-2/\">the tax has generated about $280 million in funds\u003c/a> for use in supporting stormwater projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since October, the county has captured more than 143,000 acre-feet of stormwater in reservoirs and groundwater basins, according to Lisette Guzman, public information officer with Los Angeles County Public Works. That’s enough water, she said, to support more than a million residents for a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lund says the physical limitations of moving and handling surface water mean groundwater recharge projects cannot fix most of the state’s well problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No matter how much [recharge] you do, you aren’t going to get more than 15% of the groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley,” Lund said. “That’s good, and you should do as much as you can economically, but you still have 80, 90% of the problem left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gosselin, at the state water agency, is more optimistic, citing the new research, laws, funding and priorities in managing groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the novel “East of Eden,” John Steinbeck described Californians’ tendency to forget about wet times when it’s dry and drought when it rains. But Gosselin said growers and water agencies are now planning ahead, rain or shine, to capture and store water in the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need resiliency from climate change,” he said. “And I don’t think people are going to forget about either right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11940344/rain-brings-little-relief-to-californias-depleted-groundwater","authors":["byline_news_11940344"],"categories":["news_8","news_356"],"tags":["news_32375","news_32376","news_5892","news_32374","news_32373"],"featImg":"news_11940352","label":"source_news_11940344"},"news_11937849":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11937849","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11937849","score":null,"sort":[1673740844000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"recent-storms-will-help-in-the-short-term-but-californias-drought-is-still-far-from-over","title":"Recent Storms Will Help in the Short Term, but California's Drought Is Still Far From Over","publishDate":1673740844,"format":"standard","headTitle":"KQED News","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>The new year in California has gotten off to a very wet, rocky start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the last two weeks, the state has experienced an unrelenting and deadly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937216/calm-before-the-next-storms-a-reeling-california-braces-for-back-to-back-atmospheric-rivers\">series of storms\u003c/a> — or \"bomb cyclones\" — that have delivered an onslaught of flooding, landslides, fallen trees and power outages, inflicting an estimated \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/us/california-storm-damage.html\">billion dollars of damage\u003c/a>, and causing at \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-10/tracking-the-deaths-from-californias-winter-storms\">least 19 deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the barrage isn't over, as \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/11938002/bay-area-weekend-weather-a-new-round-of-winter-storms-is-coming\">yet another series of storms move in \u003c/a>over the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11938026\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11938026\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a reservoir at full capacity.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-160x90.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicasio Reservoir is one of seven reservoirs in Marin County that is now at 100% capacity, on Jan. 12, 2023. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But there is a silver lining to these so-called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1935067/rivers-in-the-sky-what-you-need-to-know-about-atmospheric-river-storms\">atmospheric rivers\u003c/a>: They've delivered a much-needed resource that our perennially dehydrated state, ironically, needs much more of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11927120/california-drought-enters-fourth-year-with-little-respite-on-the-horizon\">For the last four years\u003c/a>, California has experienced a devastating \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-09/drought-california-oroville-shasta-reservoirs-critically-low\">drought that has depleted its reservoirs\u003c/a>, forced officials to plead with residents to conserve water and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11933826/california-cities-struggle-to-get-water-from-state-as-drought-conditions-continue\">constrained supplies\u003c/a> to municipalities and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934697/how-californias-drought-is-changing-the-politics-of-the-nations-largest-notoriously-thirsty-farming-district\">vital farmland\u003c/a>. Now, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936767/california-snowpack-increases-amid-severe-drought\">the snowpack at 174% of the historical average\u003c/a> this year — the third-best measurement in the past four decades — Californians could be forgiven for thinking the drought may soon be over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while the recent massive dump of precipitation has already helped alleviate drought conditions and replenish reservoirs — with the storms pushing much of the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.drought.gov/states/california\">out of the \"extreme drought\"\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain\"> category\u003c/a> — experts say that positive impact will likely be ephemeral, and fall far short of pulling California out of its protracted state of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1981234/climate-change-makes-heat-waves-storms-and-droughts-worse-report-confirms\">climate-change fueled drought\u003c/a>.[aside postID=\"forum_2010101891818,news_11936767,science_1981241\" label=\"Related Posts\"]“These storms have not ended the drought,” said Molly White, water operations manager for the State Water Project. Despite the jaw-dropping amount of rain — and in the mountains, snow — that has fallen on the state in recent weeks, she said, “major reservoir storage remains below average, and conditions could turn dry again this winter, offsetting recent rain and snow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some have begun to fill at a rapid pace, especially those near the hard-hit Sacramento region and parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we’ve got so far puts us in good shape, probably for at least the next year,” said Alan Haynes, the hydrologist in charge of the California Nevada River Forecast Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Snowpack is its own type of reservoir, storing moisture that ideally melts slowly into reservoirs, supplying residents with water during the drier months of summer and fall. But now that snowpack often melts too quickly and reservoirs aren’t able to capture enough of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California system was built for a climate we don’t have any more,” said Laura Feinstein, who leads work on climate resilience and environment at SPUR, a public policy nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where could the storms fall short?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s still early in the winter and it’s unclear what the next few months will bring. Last year, statewide snowpack around this time also looked promising. But a few warm, dry months followed, and when snowpack was supposed to peak in early April, it was just 38% of the historic average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not out of the drought yet,” said Feinstein.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, the storms haven’t dropped as much water on northern California. The state’s largest reservoir at \u003ca href=\"https://shasta.uslakes.info/Level/\">Lake Shasta that was at 55% of its historical average during the winter holidays had risen to 70% by Tuesday\u003c/a> — an improvement, but still well below historical averages due to years of water scarcity, according to Haynes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmospheric rivers aren’t striking everywhere. They move around “like a garden hose if you are spraying it across the yard,” said David Gochis, an expert in how water affects the weather at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those biggest reservoirs are just so massive it is probably going to take awhile for them to fill,” he said. For some of the biggest, most crucial reservoirs, it may take take five or six such drenchings, he said.[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Alan Haynes, hydrologist, California Nevada River Forecast Center\"]'What we've got so far puts us in good shape, probably for at least the next year.'[/pullquote]David Novak, director of the National Weather’s Service’s Weather Prediction Center, says the atmospheric rivers still to come will likely be weaker. The problem is the already wet ground won’t be able to absorb much more water, creating problems with runoff. In about 10 days, weather patterns may shift and finally “turn off the spigot,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the Colorado River, a major source of water for Southern California, has also been stricken by drought that has depleted major reservoirs on that river. The recent storms won’t fix that problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, says that there's still a long way to go before larger reservoirs are filled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Smaller water systems probably got their fill and then some with these storms, larger projects [like] the two big ones, Oroville and Shasta, are still trying to recover storage,\" said Anderson on a recent episode of KQED Forum. \"Depletion of those reservoirs was so great, that even gaining half-a-million acre-feet still leaves them with another half-million to a million acre-feet to recover before they get back to where they would be considered average for this time of year.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anderson urged people to have a conservation mindset and understand that the current wet weather may not cure all the challenges that have been set into place due to drought conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">⚠️ Long-term drought, dating back to winter 2019-2020, continues across California, the Great Basin, & parts of the Pacific Northwest. However, intense precip in \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/CA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CA\u003c/a> the past few weeks has significantly reduced \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/drought?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#drought\u003c/a> intensity in California. \u003ca href=\"https://t.co/hs7rCpQMsY\">https://t.co/hs7rCpQMsY\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://t.co/9mIwB8xP3V\">pic.twitter.com/9mIwB8xP3V\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>— NOAA NCEI (@NOAANCEI) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NOAANCEI/status/1613963027618856965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 13, 2023\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003c/script>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jessica Bean, a specialist with the state’s Water Rights Division, says capturing rainwater is a crucial solution, alongside water recycling. The Water Rights Division is streamlining permits for agencies to recharge their groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There isn't going to be a silver bullet. Whether or not you like the analogy, it's more like silver buckshot,\" said Bean. \"If we're going to go after something, we need to do many different things.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What about long-term issues like climate change?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many farmers in California pump water from underground, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936313/as-drought-continues-many-in-central-valley-drill-deeper-for-water\">with the enormous amounts pulled from aquifers depleting groundwater\u003c/a>. Some wells are running dry. It is an entrenched problem and it isn’t going to be solved by a short-term series of storms, experts said.[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Jeanine Jones, interstate resources manager, California Department of Water Resources\"]'[T]his series of storms really is kind of just a drop in the bucket.'[/pullquote]“Our management of land has prevented it from being recharged very well,” said Mike Antos, a watershed specialist at Stantec, a consulting company. He says the Central Valley needs more places for water flows to seep down and replenish aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And California is facing a long-term problem. Although there have been some wet years mixed in, California’s drought has been going on for roughly two decades. Climate change is creating drier, hotter conditions. Water evaporates faster. California officials predict there will be less water in the state’s future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So in that big picture, this series of storms really is kind of just a drop in the bucket,” said Jeanine Jones, the interstate resources manager at California Department of Water Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michael Phillis from The Associated Press and KQED's Sara Hossaini and Alexis Madrigal contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The rain from a series of severe storms is soaking a state that desperately needs water, even as it takes a devastating human toll. Experts say it will help drought conditions, but it isn't yet clear exactly how much.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1674155457,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":29,"wordCount":1330},"headData":{"title":"Recent Storms Will Help in the Short Term, but California's Drought Is Still Far From Over | KQED","description":"The rain from a series of severe storms is soaking a state that desperately needs water, even as it takes a devastating human toll. Experts say it will help drought conditions, but it isn't yet clear exactly how much.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","articleAge":"0","path":"/news/11937849/recent-storms-will-help-in-the-short-term-but-californias-drought-is-still-far-from-over","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The new year in California has gotten off to a very wet, rocky start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the last two weeks, the state has experienced an unrelenting and deadly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11937216/calm-before-the-next-storms-a-reeling-california-braces-for-back-to-back-atmospheric-rivers\">series of storms\u003c/a> — or \"bomb cyclones\" — that have delivered an onslaught of flooding, landslides, fallen trees and power outages, inflicting an estimated \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/us/california-storm-damage.html\">billion dollars of damage\u003c/a>, and causing at \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-10/tracking-the-deaths-from-californias-winter-storms\">least 19 deaths\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the barrage isn't over, as \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/11938002/bay-area-weekend-weather-a-new-round-of-winter-storms-is-coming\">yet another series of storms move in \u003c/a>over the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11938026\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11938026\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a reservoir at full capacity.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532-160x90.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1456047532.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicasio Reservoir is one of seven reservoirs in Marin County that is now at 100% capacity, on Jan. 12, 2023. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But there is a silver lining to these so-called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1935067/rivers-in-the-sky-what-you-need-to-know-about-atmospheric-river-storms\">atmospheric rivers\u003c/a>: They've delivered a much-needed resource that our perennially dehydrated state, ironically, needs much more of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11927120/california-drought-enters-fourth-year-with-little-respite-on-the-horizon\">For the last four years\u003c/a>, California has experienced a devastating \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-09/drought-california-oroville-shasta-reservoirs-critically-low\">drought that has depleted its reservoirs\u003c/a>, forced officials to plead with residents to conserve water and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11933826/california-cities-struggle-to-get-water-from-state-as-drought-conditions-continue\">constrained supplies\u003c/a> to municipalities and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934697/how-californias-drought-is-changing-the-politics-of-the-nations-largest-notoriously-thirsty-farming-district\">vital farmland\u003c/a>. Now, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936767/california-snowpack-increases-amid-severe-drought\">the snowpack at 174% of the historical average\u003c/a> this year — the third-best measurement in the past four decades — Californians could be forgiven for thinking the drought may soon be over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But while the recent massive dump of precipitation has already helped alleviate drought conditions and replenish reservoirs — with the storms pushing much of the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.drought.gov/states/california\">out of the \"extreme drought\"\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain\"> category\u003c/a> — experts say that positive impact will likely be ephemeral, and fall far short of pulling California out of its protracted state of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1981234/climate-change-makes-heat-waves-storms-and-droughts-worse-report-confirms\">climate-change fueled drought\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"forum_2010101891818,news_11936767,science_1981241","label":"Related Posts "},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“These storms have not ended the drought,” said Molly White, water operations manager for the State Water Project. Despite the jaw-dropping amount of rain — and in the mountains, snow — that has fallen on the state in recent weeks, she said, “major reservoir storage remains below average, and conditions could turn dry again this winter, offsetting recent rain and snow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some have begun to fill at a rapid pace, especially those near the hard-hit Sacramento region and parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we’ve got so far puts us in good shape, probably for at least the next year,” said Alan Haynes, the hydrologist in charge of the California Nevada River Forecast Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Snowpack is its own type of reservoir, storing moisture that ideally melts slowly into reservoirs, supplying residents with water during the drier months of summer and fall. But now that snowpack often melts too quickly and reservoirs aren’t able to capture enough of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The California system was built for a climate we don’t have any more,” said Laura Feinstein, who leads work on climate resilience and environment at SPUR, a public policy nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where could the storms fall short?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s still early in the winter and it’s unclear what the next few months will bring. Last year, statewide snowpack around this time also looked promising. But a few warm, dry months followed, and when snowpack was supposed to peak in early April, it was just 38% of the historic average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not out of the drought yet,” said Feinstein.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, the storms haven’t dropped as much water on northern California. The state’s largest reservoir at \u003ca href=\"https://shasta.uslakes.info/Level/\">Lake Shasta that was at 55% of its historical average during the winter holidays had risen to 70% by Tuesday\u003c/a> — an improvement, but still well below historical averages due to years of water scarcity, according to Haynes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmospheric rivers aren’t striking everywhere. They move around “like a garden hose if you are spraying it across the yard,” said David Gochis, an expert in how water affects the weather at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those biggest reservoirs are just so massive it is probably going to take awhile for them to fill,” he said. For some of the biggest, most crucial reservoirs, it may take take five or six such drenchings, he said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'What we've got so far puts us in good shape, probably for at least the next year.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Alan Haynes, hydrologist, California Nevada River Forecast Center","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>David Novak, director of the National Weather’s Service’s Weather Prediction Center, says the atmospheric rivers still to come will likely be weaker. The problem is the already wet ground won’t be able to absorb much more water, creating problems with runoff. In about 10 days, weather patterns may shift and finally “turn off the spigot,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the Colorado River, a major source of water for Southern California, has also been stricken by drought that has depleted major reservoirs on that river. The recent storms won’t fix that problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, says that there's still a long way to go before larger reservoirs are filled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Smaller water systems probably got their fill and then some with these storms, larger projects [like] the two big ones, Oroville and Shasta, are still trying to recover storage,\" said Anderson on a recent episode of KQED Forum. \"Depletion of those reservoirs was so great, that even gaining half-a-million acre-feet still leaves them with another half-million to a million acre-feet to recover before they get back to where they would be considered average for this time of year.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anderson urged people to have a conservation mindset and understand that the current wet weather may not cure all the challenges that have been set into place due to drought conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">⚠️ Long-term drought, dating back to winter 2019-2020, continues across California, the Great Basin, & parts of the Pacific Northwest. However, intense precip in \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/CA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CA\u003c/a> the past few weeks has significantly reduced \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/drought?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#drought\u003c/a> intensity in California. \u003ca href=\"https://t.co/hs7rCpQMsY\">https://t.co/hs7rCpQMsY\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://t.co/9mIwB8xP3V\">pic.twitter.com/9mIwB8xP3V\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>— NOAA NCEI (@NOAANCEI) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NOAANCEI/status/1613963027618856965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 13, 2023\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003c/script>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jessica Bean, a specialist with the state’s Water Rights Division, says capturing rainwater is a crucial solution, alongside water recycling. The Water Rights Division is streamlining permits for agencies to recharge their groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"There isn't going to be a silver bullet. Whether or not you like the analogy, it's more like silver buckshot,\" said Bean. \"If we're going to go after something, we need to do many different things.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What about long-term issues like climate change?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many farmers in California pump water from underground, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11936313/as-drought-continues-many-in-central-valley-drill-deeper-for-water\">with the enormous amounts pulled from aquifers depleting groundwater\u003c/a>. Some wells are running dry. It is an entrenched problem and it isn’t going to be solved by a short-term series of storms, experts said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'[T]his series of storms really is kind of just a drop in the bucket.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Jeanine Jones, interstate resources manager, California Department of Water Resources","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Our management of land has prevented it from being recharged very well,” said Mike Antos, a watershed specialist at Stantec, a consulting company. He says the Central Valley needs more places for water flows to seep down and replenish aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And California is facing a long-term problem. Although there have been some wet years mixed in, California’s drought has been going on for roughly two decades. Climate change is creating drier, hotter conditions. Water evaporates faster. California officials predict there will be less water in the state’s future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So in that big picture, this series of storms really is kind of just a drop in the bucket,” said Jeanine Jones, the interstate resources manager at California Department of Water Resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michael Phillis from The Associated Press and KQED's Sara Hossaini and Alexis Madrigal contributed reporting to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11937849/recent-storms-will-help-in-the-short-term-but-californias-drought-is-still-far-from-over","authors":["237"],"categories":["news_19906","news_8"],"tags":["news_25028","news_32292","news_5892","news_32293","news_32291"],"featImg":"news_10366483","label":"news"},"news_11925400":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11925400","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11925400","score":null,"sort":[1663185648000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"the-mad-rush-for-groundwater-in-the-central-valley","title":"The Mad Rush for Groundwater in the Central Valley","publishDate":1663185648,"format":"standard","headTitle":"KQED News","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought. But in areas of the state where people rely on groundwater, such as the San Joaquin Valley, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find and pull more water from underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a rural area about 30 miles north of Fresno, a drill pipe rotated as it burrowed deeper and deeper into the earth in a search for untapped reservoirs of groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If this well finds water, nearby homeowners whose first well has gone dry will use it. If the drill pipe doesn't hit water, people here, like many in this part of California who aren’t hooked up to municipal water systems, won't have water without buying it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the drill has to go down pretty deep just to find out if any water is there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We will not hit water until about 380 to 400 (feet),\" said drilling supervisor Daniel Reese, adding that drilling to such depths to find groundwater would have been rare just 15 to 25 years ago. Then, the maximum drilling depth would have been 200 to 300 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"small\" citation=\"Tom Collishaw, president and CEO, Self-Help Enterprises\"]'The deepest straw gets the water. That's absolutely how it works.'[/pullquote]So why drill deeper to hit water? Drought, of course\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>both past and present. Less rain means it’s harder for aquifers to get recharged, and that presents its own problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pumping water from ever-deeper aquifers causes the land to sink, and not by a few inches, but by feet. This is called land subsidence. You can imagine how this happens if you think of water as filling in between soil, sand and rock. When pumps pull the water out at deeper and deeper levels, the space between the sand and rocks squishes together and the land sinks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='news_11882276']Land subsidence can crack the surface of the land, crack foundations of homes, particularly older homes, and squeeze the capacity of the aquifer overall. Think about it\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>if the space between sand and rocks squishes together, and then the land sinks on top of it, it's hard for that space to expand to fill with water again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/2022/06/02/will-californias-san-joaquin-valley-stop-sinking/\">Land subsidence has already reduced the amount of water\u003c/a> that can flow through crucial canals and aqueducts. Today, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/california-aqueduct#:~:text=The%20California%20Aqueduct%2C%20a%20critical,Joaquin%20Valley%20and%20Southern%20California.\">California Aqueduct, which brings water to some 3 million acres of farmland, carries 20% less water than it was designed for\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This cycle of drought drying up reservoirs, deeper groundwater pumping and the land falling in on itself spirals onward as climate change continues to affect drought and rainfall unpredictably.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of this simply puts more pressure on the land, since people who live in the Central Valley, like people everywhere, need water to survive. So there’s a kind of race in the San Joaquin Valley now to drill deeper and tap the water that remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='related articles' tag='water']In a sense, a lot of straws are going into the ground to get to that water. But do some people win and some people lose?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The deepest straw gets the water. That's absolutely how it works,\" said Tom Collishaw of Visalia-based Self-Help Enterprises, a nonprofit that provides emergency water services and low-interest loans for private well construction in the San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collishaw says one result of groundwater overpumping is that the cost of drilling has soared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Well-drilling right now on a single-family household lot is costing $60,000, where three years ago maybe we were paying $25,000,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So what do you do if you can’t afford to drill or you need to wait until a drilling crew arrives? That’s when many people put in giant tanks filled with trucked-in water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water-tank installation contractor Brandon Jones says his company installs as many as five tanks a day. When I meet him, he and his crew are at a home east of Visalia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11925444\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11925444\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A man bends over in front of a water tank outside somebody's home as he tries to attach a large hose connected to a water tanker seen from the rear in the background with a dirt road leading away to a dry landscape and a tree in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crew installs a water tank at a home outside Visalia, which will be filled with trucked-in water. People who can't afford to drill for groundwater, or who must wait months for busy drilling contractors to arrive, install the tanks to help them take care of their essential water needs. This tank will need to be filled once every one or two weeks depending on how much water is used. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"So we're installing a temporary 2,500-gallon water tank,\" Jones said. \"And that will get them temporary water until they can come up with a permanent solution for water, either a new well or connection to city infrastructure, which I don’t think is out here.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The homeowner, Michelle\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (\u003c/span>who doesn’t want her last name used), says she hasn’t had water since June, when her well went dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It’s like you turn on the faucet and nothing came out,\" she said. With the tank, she and her family can now bathe, flush toilets and cook. Even so, she considers this to be only a temporary solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a Band-Aid until we're able to drill a new well and hopefully find water,\" she said. \"When we get people to call us back and actually come give us an estimate, we'll know, because it's just so hard to get through ... there are so many people in the same situation that everyone is extremely busy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside label='In-Depth Coverage' link1=\"https://revealnews.org/article/california-is-sinking-and-its-getting-worse/,California Is Sinking and It's Getting Worse\"]\u003c/span>But there's another problem: Even if a property owner or community drills a successful well, the water that’s found could be contaminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s been a years-long issue in mostly poor and Latino communities in the Valley, such as Ducor, population just over 600.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s groundwater in Ducor, but the water’s too dangerous to consume because of decades of pesticide runoff from agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local resident Alisao Aldaco says it’s water that’s safe for the plants but not to drink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"No, you can’t drink it,\" he said, as he watered his yard. \"You can maybe even smell it? Just buy bottled water … every week. You got to buy the water for the week.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11925447\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11925447\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A single water drill rises in a parched and arid landscape with a dry thorny shrub in the foreground.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A derelict water-drilling platform along Highway 65 in the San Joaquin Valley. There's growing competition between farmers and homeowners in the region to drill deeper wells to get to untapped groundwater. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So what’s ahead for the San Joaquin Valley and the quantity and quality of its groundwater? Cleanup efforts of tainted aquifers are slow, or nonexistent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is also implementing a massive groundwater management plan, but that will take years to see results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile the search for increasingly scarce groundwater continues. Back at his drilling site, Daniel Reese says he has a long line of desperate customers waiting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I’m averaging five to six months out,\" said Reese. \"That’s actually a pretty decent number, so we’re pushing it. We’re pushing it.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Reese says he cautions his customers that the fact that he drills doesn’t mean the water will actually be found\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>no matter how deep he goes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"People in the San Joaquin Valley rely on groundwater for basic needs. For years, they've had to drill ever deeper to find it, as drought dries up wells.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1663185648,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":33,"wordCount":1267},"headData":{"title":"The Mad Rush for Groundwater in the Central Valley | KQED","description":"People in the San Joaquin Valley rely on groundwater for basic needs. For years, they've had to drill ever deeper to find it, as drought dries up wells.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"disqusIdentifier":"11925400 https://ww2.kqed.org/news/?p=11925400","disqusUrl":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2022/09/14/the-mad-rush-for-groundwater-in-the-central-valley/","disqusTitle":"The Mad Rush for Groundwater in the Central Valley","source":"News","templateType":"standard","featuredImageType":"standard","excludeFromSiteSearch":"Include","showOnAuthorArchivePages":"No","path":"/news/11925400/the-mad-rush-for-groundwater-in-the-central-valley","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Most Californians are feeling the effects of the drought. But in areas of the state where people rely on groundwater, such as the San Joaquin Valley, the pain of this drought is especially severe. Wells are going dry and there’s intense competition to find and pull more water from underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a rural area about 30 miles north of Fresno, a drill pipe rotated as it burrowed deeper and deeper into the earth in a search for untapped reservoirs of groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If this well finds water, nearby homeowners whose first well has gone dry will use it. If the drill pipe doesn't hit water, people here, like many in this part of California who aren’t hooked up to municipal water systems, won't have water without buying it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the drill has to go down pretty deep just to find out if any water is there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We will not hit water until about 380 to 400 (feet),\" said drilling supervisor Daniel Reese, adding that drilling to such depths to find groundwater would have been rare just 15 to 25 years ago. Then, the maximum drilling depth would have been 200 to 300 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"'The deepest straw gets the water. That's absolutely how it works.'","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"small","citation":"Tom Collishaw, president and CEO, Self-Help Enterprises","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>So why drill deeper to hit water? Drought, of course\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>both past and present. Less rain means it’s harder for aquifers to get recharged, and that presents its own problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pumping water from ever-deeper aquifers causes the land to sink, and not by a few inches, but by feet. This is called land subsidence. You can imagine how this happens if you think of water as filling in between soil, sand and rock. When pumps pull the water out at deeper and deeper levels, the space between the sand and rocks squishes together and the land sinks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11882276","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Land subsidence can crack the surface of the land, crack foundations of homes, particularly older homes, and squeeze the capacity of the aquifer overall. Think about it\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>if the space between sand and rocks squishes together, and then the land sinks on top of it, it's hard for that space to expand to fill with water again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/2022/06/02/will-californias-san-joaquin-valley-stop-sinking/\">Land subsidence has already reduced the amount of water\u003c/a> that can flow through crucial canals and aqueducts. Today, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/california-aqueduct#:~:text=The%20California%20Aqueduct%2C%20a%20critical,Joaquin%20Valley%20and%20Southern%20California.\">California Aqueduct, which brings water to some 3 million acres of farmland, carries 20% less water than it was designed for\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This cycle of drought drying up reservoirs, deeper groundwater pumping and the land falling in on itself spirals onward as climate change continues to affect drought and rainfall unpredictably.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of this simply puts more pressure on the land, since people who live in the Central Valley, like people everywhere, need water to survive. So there’s a kind of race in the San Joaquin Valley now to drill deeper and tap the water that remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"related articles ","tag":"water"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In a sense, a lot of straws are going into the ground to get to that water. But do some people win and some people lose?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"The deepest straw gets the water. That's absolutely how it works,\" said Tom Collishaw of Visalia-based Self-Help Enterprises, a nonprofit that provides emergency water services and low-interest loans for private well construction in the San Joaquin Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Collishaw says one result of groundwater overpumping is that the cost of drilling has soared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Well-drilling right now on a single-family household lot is costing $60,000, where three years ago maybe we were paying $25,000,\" he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So what do you do if you can’t afford to drill or you need to wait until a drilling crew arrives? That’s when many people put in giant tanks filled with trucked-in water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Water-tank installation contractor Brandon Jones says his company installs as many as five tanks a day. When I meet him, he and his crew are at a home east of Visalia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11925444\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11925444\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A man bends over in front of a water tank outside somebody's home as he tries to attach a large hose connected to a water tanker seen from the rear in the background with a dirt road leading away to a dry landscape and a tree in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/watertank-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crew installs a water tank at a home outside Visalia, which will be filled with trucked-in water. People who can't afford to drill for groundwater, or who must wait months for busy drilling contractors to arrive, install the tanks to help them take care of their essential water needs. This tank will need to be filled once every one or two weeks depending on how much water is used. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\"So we're installing a temporary 2,500-gallon water tank,\" Jones said. \"And that will get them temporary water until they can come up with a permanent solution for water, either a new well or connection to city infrastructure, which I don’t think is out here.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The homeowner, Michelle\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (\u003c/span>who doesn’t want her last name used), says she hasn’t had water since June, when her well went dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It’s like you turn on the faucet and nothing came out,\" she said. With the tank, she and her family can now bathe, flush toilets and cook. Even so, she considers this to be only a temporary solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"This is a Band-Aid until we're able to drill a new well and hopefully find water,\" she said. \"When we get people to call us back and actually come give us an estimate, we'll know, because it's just so hard to get through ... there are so many people in the same situation that everyone is extremely busy.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"In-Depth Coverage ","link1":"https://revealnews.org/article/california-is-sinking-and-its-getting-worse/,California Is Sinking and It's Getting Worse"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>But there's another problem: Even if a property owner or community drills a successful well, the water that’s found could be contaminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s been a years-long issue in mostly poor and Latino communities in the Valley, such as Ducor, population just over 600.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s groundwater in Ducor, but the water’s too dangerous to consume because of decades of pesticide runoff from agriculture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local resident Alisao Aldaco says it’s water that’s safe for the plants but not to drink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"No, you can’t drink it,\" he said, as he watered his yard. \"You can maybe even smell it? Just buy bottled water … every week. You got to buy the water for the week.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11925447\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-11925447\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A single water drill rises in a parched and arid landscape with a dry thorny shrub in the foreground.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/platform-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A derelict water-drilling platform along Highway 65 in the San Joaquin Valley. There's growing competition between farmers and homeowners in the region to drill deeper wells to get to untapped groundwater. \u003ccite>(Saul Gonzalez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So what’s ahead for the San Joaquin Valley and the quantity and quality of its groundwater? Cleanup efforts of tainted aquifers are slow, or nonexistent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state is also implementing a massive groundwater management plan, but that will take years to see results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile the search for increasingly scarce groundwater continues. Back at his drilling site, Daniel Reese says he has a long line of desperate customers waiting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I’m averaging five to six months out,\" said Reese. \"That’s actually a pretty decent number, so we’re pushing it. We’re pushing it.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Reese says he cautions his customers that the fact that he drills doesn’t mean the water will actually be found\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — \u003c/span>no matter how deep he goes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11925400/the-mad-rush-for-groundwater-in-the-central-valley","authors":["11621","11812","235"],"categories":["news_19906","news_8","news_356"],"tags":["news_31622","news_31621","news_31620","news_20447","news_311","news_17601","news_5892","news_312"],"featImg":"news_11925441","label":"source_news_11925400"},"news_11891401":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11891401","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11891401","score":null,"sort":[1633655685000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"a-california-law-meant-to-reduce-the-exploitation-of-aquifers-could-transform-the-central-valley","title":"A California Law Meant to Reduce the Exploitation of Aquifers Could Transform the Central Valley","publishDate":1633655685,"format":"standard","headTitle":"A California Law Meant to Reduce the Exploitation of Aquifers Could Transform the Central Valley | KQED","labelTerm":{"site":"news"},"content":"\u003cp>California’s agricultural empire is facing a shakeup, as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) comes into effect that will limit many farmers’ access to water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seven-year-old law is supposed to stop the over-pumping from depleted aquifers, and some farmers — the largest users of that water — concede the limits are overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"news_11891246\" hero=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/farmer1-1020x681.jpg\"]The state grows roughly 40% of the country’s vegetables, fruit and nuts. But it’s also famously prone to drought, and in those dry years, when farms run short of water from rivers and reservoirs, they turn on powerful pumps and draw well water from aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The limits on that water use will force many farmers to scrap practices that relied on unfettered access to that shrinking underground reservoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s unsustainable to continue over-drafting the aquifer the way we are,” said Rick Cosyns, a farmer near the town of Madera, just north of Fresno. “It’s just a race to the bottom.” Cosyns, who was interviewed in August, died unexpectedly on September 7.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s drought hit hard and fast. With rivers running low, there’s little “surface water” available for agriculture. As a result, farmers’ pumps ran hard this summer. Big pipes that emerge from the ground alongside fields and orchards delivered powerful gushers of water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891503\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1448px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891503\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3.jpg\" alt=\"Rick Cosyns stands next to his farm's well, a large metal container with water flowing inside.\" width=\"1448\" height=\"971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3.jpg 1448w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1448px) 100vw, 1448px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rick Cosyns, a farmer in Madera, relied on water from the aquifer in years of drought. In other years he could replenish the aquifer with water from the San Joaquin River. “It’s unsustainable to continue over-drafting the aquifer the way we are,” he said in August before he passed away the following month. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>State-wide, farmers to pumped an estimated six to seven million additional acre-feet of water this year, above what they normally use. (An acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It kept fields and orchards green and productive, but there’s collateral damage. Those deep agricultural wells suck the water out from underneath smaller domestic wells, like the one at Esther Espinoza’s house outside the small town of Riverdale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I see how the big pumps are pumping water, and we don’t have water. It’s something so sad for me,” Espinoza said. “We have water for nothing. For the bathroom, or the kitchen. It’s something which is so necessary, [that] we don’t have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Esther Espinoza, Resident of Fresno County\"]‘I see how the big pumps are pumping water, and we don’t have water.’[/pullquote]She and her family now depend on water from a big black tank in their front yard, which a local non-profit fills up each week. Hundreds, and probably thousands, of households are in this situation, most of them in the southern part of the Central Valley, where aquifers are most depleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For 100 years in California, anyone could dig a well on their land and pump as much as they wanted. Farmers got most of it. They pumped so much water that the underground water table fell by more than 100 feet in some places. The ground itself subsided as water was pumped out from underneath it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that’s supposed to end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SGMA passed in 2014 but is just now going into effect and it treats the aquifer like a bank account that has to stay in balance. There can be withdrawals of water, but they cannot exceed the rate at which the aquifer is replenished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='large' align='right']For 100 years in California, anyone could dig a well on their land and pump as much as they wanted. Farmers got most of it.[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new restrictions are creating winners and losers among farmers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cosyns’s farm, near Madera, is among the fortunate ones. It has another source of water. It’s part of an irrigation district set up a century ago to distribute water from nearby rivers to farmers. Most of that water, today, is captured by a dam on the San Joaquin River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A deep irrigation ditch runs alongside the almond orchard. It’s empty this year because of the drought. “I’d sure feel better if this was full of water, and most years it is,” Cosysns said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891508\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1297px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891508\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2.jpg\" alt=\"Dozens of cows are gathered inside a closed space. Nearby is a metal well with many tubes sticking out.\" width=\"1297\" height=\"968\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2.jpg 1297w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2-800x597.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2-1020x761.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2-160x119.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1297px) 100vw, 1297px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a farming area east of Tulare County, fields of corn and dairy herds depend on water from wells like this one. The state is now limiting the use of this groundwater. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most years, when there’s enough rain and snow, he could use that water to irrigate orchards and let some of the water just sink back into the ground. Eventually that water can filter all the way back down to the aquifer, hundreds of feet below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a way to keep that aquifer bank account roughly in balance, making water deposits when there’s plenty of water from the river, and pumping water out again when there’s a drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet even here, the water table in the aquifer has been falling. The reason, Cosyns said, lay elsewhere. “The surrounding areas are pumping the water out from under us,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those farmers own land that’s outside the irrigation district, and they don’t get water from the dam on the San Joaquin River. They pump from the aquifer every year, making withdrawals but no deposits. Under the new law, that will have to end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cosyns had only limited sympathy. “We’ve made the investments” in securing additional water supplies, he said, “and others are getting into our bank accounts that we saved for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers who rely solely on groundwater may think it’s their right to do that indefinitely, “but we’ve come to that day of reckoning, when that’s no longer going to be the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"right\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"David Roberts, Farmer in Tulare County\"]‘We’re going to turn the water crisis into a food crisis, because we cannot replicate the San Joaquin Valley anywhere else in the United States.’[/pullquote]This is the main division in California agriculture as the groundwater law comes into force. On the one side are farmers in irrigation districts with secure access to water from California’s rivers and reservoirs; on the other, farmers who’ve relied almost completely on their wells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the aquifer-dependent farmers will have to cut their pumping drastically, and that likely means they’ll have to idle some of their land. According to some estimates, anywhere from half a million to a million acres will cease growing agricultural crops in the San Joaquin Valley, from Sacramento and Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This does not sit well with some farmers, such as David Roberts, who grows citrus crops in Tulare County. “We’re going to turn the water crisis into a food crisis, because we cannot replicate the San Joaquin Valley anywhere else in the United States,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No other place, he says, has the climate to grow more than 400 different crops. And when consumers realize what they’re missing, he expects a backlash. “This ground will come back into production one way or another,” he explained. “The United States cannot be without the San Joaquin Valley producing fruit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891504\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1452px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891504\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4.jpg\" alt=\"Dan Charles stands in front of a field and points at it, with a concerned look on his face.\" width=\"1452\" height=\"967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4.jpg 1452w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Roberts grows citrus crops on the eastern side of the Central Valley, near Woodlake, in Tulare County. Some of his orchards depend entirely on water that he pumps from the aquifer and he’s worried that the SGMA will hinder his farm’s capacity to grow. “We’re going to turn the water crisis into a food crisis,” he said. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Roberts agrees that overuse of the aquifer has to end. But he wants the government to step in to deliver more water from rivers and dams to make up for the lost groundwater, to keep more land in production and also replenish the aquifer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"science_1976952 hero=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/Grapes-1920x1440.jpg\"]Other water experts say that’s a pipe dream, and unnecessary. Some crops currently grown in the Central Valley, including almost half a million acres of corn used to feed dairy cattle, can easily be grown elsewhere. California’s dairy industry is likely to contract because cattle feed will become increasingly scarce, they say, but consumers will barely notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, some farmers think the future looks bright. “I actually think it’s going to be a better future than the past has been,” said Jon Reiter, a rancher and adviser to large-scale farming operations in the valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People already are working on creative ways to adapt and prosper, he says. Farmers and water managers are building the infrastructure to capture more water in years when it rains, flood their fields, and replenish the aquifer. That will allow them to pump more groundwater in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some land still will have to stop growing crops, Reiter says, “but we’re going to take that land and put it to other uses.” There are profits to be made leasing land for solar production, for instance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891505\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1453px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891505\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5.jpg\" alt=\"A field of dozens of solar panels stand in the middle of a barren, dry landscape.\" width=\"1453\" height=\"973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5.jpg 1453w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1453px) 100vw, 1453px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Solar farms, like this one in Tulare County, have replaced some vegetable fields and orchards in the Central Valley. “I see the San Joaquin Valley being really a solar hub, renewable energy hub for the whole of California,” said Jon Reiter, a rancher and adviser to large-scale farming operations in the valley. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I see the San Joaquin Valley being really a solar hub, renewable energy hub for the whole of California,” he said. “It could be a big part of our state achieving its renewable energy objectives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also a new state program that will pay farmers to turn fallowed fields into habitat for birds, lizards, and native shrubs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label ='More Drought Coverage' tag='drought']No one knows exactly what that Central Valley will look like when this all shakes out. Dozens of local committees are in charge of enforcing the new groundwater law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soapy Mulholland, a conservationist who’s on half a dozen of these committees, says they include a much larger range of viewpoints than previously had influence over groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re considering disadvantaged communities, the farmers, you’re considering the environment, and all those players are at the table,” she said. “And that’s a good thing.”\u003cbr>\n[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in California in 2014 to prevent farmers from overdrawing aquifers may be creating winners and losers among growers.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1701974769,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":false,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":38,"wordCount":1837},"headData":{"title":"A California Law Meant to Reduce the Exploitation of Aquifers Could Transform the Central Valley | KQED","description":"The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in California in 2014 to prevent farmers from overdrawing aquifers may be creating winners and losers among growers.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"sticky":false,"nprByline":"\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/143160021/daniel-charles\">Dan Charles\u003c/a>","path":"/news/11891401/a-california-law-meant-to-reduce-the-exploitation-of-aquifers-could-transform-the-central-valley","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California’s agricultural empire is facing a shakeup, as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) comes into effect that will limit many farmers’ access to water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seven-year-old law is supposed to stop the over-pumping from depleted aquifers, and some farmers — the largest users of that water — concede the limits are overdue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"postid":"news_11891246","hero":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/farmer1-1020x681.jpg","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The state grows roughly 40% of the country’s vegetables, fruit and nuts. But it’s also famously prone to drought, and in those dry years, when farms run short of water from rivers and reservoirs, they turn on powerful pumps and draw well water from aquifers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The limits on that water use will force many farmers to scrap practices that relied on unfettered access to that shrinking underground reservoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s unsustainable to continue over-drafting the aquifer the way we are,” said Rick Cosyns, a farmer near the town of Madera, just north of Fresno. “It’s just a race to the bottom.” Cosyns, who was interviewed in August, died unexpectedly on September 7.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s drought hit hard and fast. With rivers running low, there’s little “surface water” available for agriculture. As a result, farmers’ pumps ran hard this summer. Big pipes that emerge from the ground alongside fields and orchards delivered powerful gushers of water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891503\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1448px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891503\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3.jpg\" alt=\"Rick Cosyns stands next to his farm's well, a large metal container with water flowing inside.\" width=\"1448\" height=\"971\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3.jpg 1448w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3-1020x684.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer3-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1448px) 100vw, 1448px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rick Cosyns, a farmer in Madera, relied on water from the aquifer in years of drought. In other years he could replenish the aquifer with water from the San Joaquin River. “It’s unsustainable to continue over-drafting the aquifer the way we are,” he said in August before he passed away the following month. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>State-wide, farmers to pumped an estimated six to seven million additional acre-feet of water this year, above what they normally use. (An acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It kept fields and orchards green and productive, but there’s collateral damage. Those deep agricultural wells suck the water out from underneath smaller domestic wells, like the one at Esther Espinoza’s house outside the small town of Riverdale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I see how the big pumps are pumping water, and we don’t have water. It’s something so sad for me,” Espinoza said. “We have water for nothing. For the bathroom, or the kitchen. It’s something which is so necessary, [that] we don’t have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘I see how the big pumps are pumping water, and we don’t have water.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"Esther Espinoza, Resident of Fresno County","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She and her family now depend on water from a big black tank in their front yard, which a local non-profit fills up each week. Hundreds, and probably thousands, of households are in this situation, most of them in the southern part of the Central Valley, where aquifers are most depleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For 100 years in California, anyone could dig a well on their land and pump as much as they wanted. Farmers got most of it. They pumped so much water that the underground water table fell by more than 100 feet in some places. The ground itself subsided as water was pumped out from underneath it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All that’s supposed to end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SGMA passed in 2014 but is just now going into effect and it treats the aquifer like a bank account that has to stay in balance. There can be withdrawals of water, but they cannot exceed the rate at which the aquifer is replenished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"For 100 years in California, anyone could dig a well on their land and pump as much as they wanted. Farmers got most of it.","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"size":"large","align":"right","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new restrictions are creating winners and losers among farmers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cosyns’s farm, near Madera, is among the fortunate ones. It has another source of water. It’s part of an irrigation district set up a century ago to distribute water from nearby rivers to farmers. Most of that water, today, is captured by a dam on the San Joaquin River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A deep irrigation ditch runs alongside the almond orchard. It’s empty this year because of the drought. “I’d sure feel better if this was full of water, and most years it is,” Cosysns said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891508\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1297px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891508\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2.jpg\" alt=\"Dozens of cows are gathered inside a closed space. Nearby is a metal well with many tubes sticking out.\" width=\"1297\" height=\"968\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2.jpg 1297w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2-800x597.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2-1020x761.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer2-160x119.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1297px) 100vw, 1297px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a farming area east of Tulare County, fields of corn and dairy herds depend on water from wells like this one. The state is now limiting the use of this groundwater. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most years, when there’s enough rain and snow, he could use that water to irrigate orchards and let some of the water just sink back into the ground. Eventually that water can filter all the way back down to the aquifer, hundreds of feet below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a way to keep that aquifer bank account roughly in balance, making water deposits when there’s plenty of water from the river, and pumping water out again when there’s a drought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet even here, the water table in the aquifer has been falling. The reason, Cosyns said, lay elsewhere. “The surrounding areas are pumping the water out from under us,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those farmers own land that’s outside the irrigation district, and they don’t get water from the dam on the San Joaquin River. They pump from the aquifer every year, making withdrawals but no deposits. Under the new law, that will have to end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cosyns had only limited sympathy. “We’ve made the investments” in securing additional water supplies, he said, “and others are getting into our bank accounts that we saved for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farmers who rely solely on groundwater may think it’s their right to do that indefinitely, “but we’ve come to that day of reckoning, when that’s no longer going to be the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"‘We’re going to turn the water crisis into a food crisis, because we cannot replicate the San Joaquin Valley anywhere else in the United States.’","name":"pullquote","attributes":{"named":{"align":"right","size":"medium","citation":"David Roberts, Farmer in Tulare County","label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This is the main division in California agriculture as the groundwater law comes into force. On the one side are farmers in irrigation districts with secure access to water from California’s rivers and reservoirs; on the other, farmers who’ve relied almost completely on their wells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the aquifer-dependent farmers will have to cut their pumping drastically, and that likely means they’ll have to idle some of their land. According to some estimates, anywhere from half a million to a million acres will cease growing agricultural crops in the San Joaquin Valley, from Sacramento and Bakersfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This does not sit well with some farmers, such as David Roberts, who grows citrus crops in Tulare County. “We’re going to turn the water crisis into a food crisis, because we cannot replicate the San Joaquin Valley anywhere else in the United States,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No other place, he says, has the climate to grow more than 400 different crops. And when consumers realize what they’re missing, he expects a backlash. “This ground will come back into production one way or another,” he explained. “The United States cannot be without the San Joaquin Valley producing fruit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891504\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1452px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891504\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4.jpg\" alt=\"Dan Charles stands in front of a field and points at it, with a concerned look on his face.\" width=\"1452\" height=\"967\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4.jpg 1452w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer4-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Roberts grows citrus crops on the eastern side of the Central Valley, near Woodlake, in Tulare County. Some of his orchards depend entirely on water that he pumps from the aquifer and he’s worried that the SGMA will hinder his farm’s capacity to grow. “We’re going to turn the water crisis into a food crisis,” he said. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Roberts agrees that overuse of the aquifer has to end. But he wants the government to step in to deliver more water from rivers and dams to make up for the lost groundwater, to keep more land in production and also replenish the aquifer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"hero":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2021/09/Grapes-1920x1440.jpg","label":"postID=\"science_1976952"},"numeric":["postID=\"science_1976952"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Other water experts say that’s a pipe dream, and unnecessary. Some crops currently grown in the Central Valley, including almost half a million acres of corn used to feed dairy cattle, can easily be grown elsewhere. California’s dairy industry is likely to contract because cattle feed will become increasingly scarce, they say, but consumers will barely notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, some farmers think the future looks bright. “I actually think it’s going to be a better future than the past has been,” said Jon Reiter, a rancher and adviser to large-scale farming operations in the valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People already are working on creative ways to adapt and prosper, he says. Farmers and water managers are building the infrastructure to capture more water in years when it rains, flood their fields, and replenish the aquifer. That will allow them to pump more groundwater in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some land still will have to stop growing crops, Reiter says, “but we’re going to take that land and put it to other uses.” There are profits to be made leasing land for solar production, for instance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11891505\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1453px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11891505\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5.jpg\" alt=\"A field of dozens of solar panels stand in the middle of a barren, dry landscape.\" width=\"1453\" height=\"973\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5.jpg 1453w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/aquifer5-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1453px) 100vw, 1453px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Solar farms, like this one in Tulare County, have replaced some vegetable fields and orchards in the Central Valley. “I see the San Joaquin Valley being really a solar hub, renewable energy hub for the whole of California,” said Jon Reiter, a rancher and adviser to large-scale farming operations in the valley. \u003ccite>(Dan Charles/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I see the San Joaquin Valley being really a solar hub, renewable energy hub for the whole of California,” he said. “It could be a big part of our state achieving its renewable energy objectives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also a new state program that will pay farmers to turn fallowed fields into habitat for birds, lizards, and native shrubs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"aside","attributes":{"named":{"label":"More Drought Coverage ","tag":"drought"},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>No one knows exactly what that Central Valley will look like when this all shakes out. Dozens of local committees are in charge of enforcing the new groundwater law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soapy Mulholland, a conservationist who’s on half a dozen of these committees, says they include a much larger range of viewpoints than previously had influence over groundwater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re considering disadvantaged communities, the farmers, you’re considering the environment, and all those players are at the table,” she said. “And that’s a good thing.”\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11891401/a-california-law-meant-to-reduce-the-exploitation-of-aquifers-could-transform-the-central-valley","authors":["byline_news_11891401"],"categories":["news_19906","news_8","news_356"],"tags":["news_4092","news_30015","news_18022","news_20447","news_311","news_17601","news_20023","news_18163","news_21216","news_5892","news_29996","news_30016","news_30018","news_30017","news_6442"],"featImg":"news_11891458","label":"news"},"news_11886536":{"type":"posts","id":"news_11886536","meta":{"index":"posts_1591205157","site":"news","id":"11886536","score":null,"sort":[1630058452000]},"guestAuthors":[],"slug":"bay-area-do-you-know-where-your-water-comes-from-2","title":"Bay Area: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From?","publishDate":1630058452,"format":"image","headTitle":"Bay Area: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From? | KQED","labelTerm":{},"content":"\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QoyW8Jt9q3Tq11l8ws3wc?si=3d913de8a11c45a8&nd=1\">Listen to all six episodes of our State of Drought series on Spotify. \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://bit.ly/39fV5VD\">Episode transcript\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area water system is a byzantine patchwork of agencies — more than 50 in all — that provides water to customers. Some are the ones you see on your water bill. Others are middlemen that provide water to local agencies at the wholesale level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some of that water makes a long journey. Southern California has the reputation for tapping far-flung sources for its water needs, but the Bay Area is in the same boat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than two-thirds of the Bay Area’s water supply comes from outside the region, which means in extreme drought years, local water districts are competing with many others around the state for limited supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we suffer under another dry period, some parts of the Bay Area are experiencing the drought more acutely because of where they get their water. We’re going to break it down for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Bay Area Water Districts By Major Source of Supply\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 817px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11886556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM.png\" alt=\"Graphic showing where bay area water districts get their water.\" width=\"817\" height=\"791\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM.png 817w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM-800x775.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM-160x155.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A breakdown of where different regions of the Bay Area get their water. \u003ccite>(Source: \u003ca href=\"https://wrpinfo.org/media/1283/abag-webinar-2015.pdf\">ABAG Infrastructure Vulnerability & Interdependencies Study (2014)\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Hetch Hetchy Water System\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The system originates more than 100 miles from its primary customers, in Yosemite National Park. O’Shaughnessy Dam was built on the Tuolumne River in 1923 to create Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The water travels through a series of pipelines before it reaches the Bay Area and blends with five local reservoirs. The Tuolumne River joins the San Joaquin River and flows into the Delta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco depends on Hetch Hetchy for its water. The city’s direct access to a large amount of stored water means that even when precipitation levels are lower than average, residents don’t start seeing mandatory water restrictions right away. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is also a water wholesaler, selling water to places on the peninsula like Burlingame, Palo Alto, Hillsborough and Redwood City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city has long resisted proposals to drain Hetch Hetchy. In 2012, advocates of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/audio/century-old-battle-over-yosemites-second-valley-heats-up/\">put a measure on the San Francisco ballot\u003c/a> that would have required the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to study draining the reservoir and shifting the water to other storage facilities. The measure was defeated. In 2018, then Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke met with proponents of restoration, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/No-real-worry-that-Hetch-Hetchy-will-be-drained-13105043.php\">the discussions didn’t lead anywhere\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14633\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/HetchHetchy-1024x368.jpg\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-14633\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/HetchHetchy-1024x368.jpg\" alt=\"Click to enlarge map. (Credit: By Shannon1 [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"368\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click to enlarge map. (Credit: By Shannon1 \u003ca href=\"http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHetchhetchyprojmap.jpg\">via Wikimedia Commons\u003c/a>)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>California’s two major rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin, fed by half a dozen others, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/series/ca-delta/\">come together in this inland delta \u003c/a>just east of San Francisco Bay. The Delta’s watershed makes up about 45 percent of the state in all. Two-thirds of Californians use Delta water, delivered mainly through two major canal systems, the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 826px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1976534\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/DWR_USGS_bay_deltamap-826x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta\" width=\"826\" height=\"1024\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta is a massive system of waterways that provides water to fish, wildlife and people throughout California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When we have prolonged drought, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/31/state-water-project-deliveries-canceled-because-of-drought\">water deliveries\u003c/a> from both these projects diminish, except for some drinking water supplies. Napa, Santa Clara, and Contra Costa counties all get some water out of the Delta. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has seen \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/series/ca-delta/\">dramatic ecological decline\u003c/a> due to habitat loss, invasive species and highly altered water flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County — and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1975989/san-jose-relies-on-water-from-the-sierra-nevada-climate-change-is-challenging-that-system\">San Jose, its largest city \u003c/a>— are in a particularly difficult water situation. In 2021, Santa Clara Valley Water, the water agency that serves San Jose, only received 5% of the water it contracts from the state, a quarter of what it sources from the feds, and has seen little local rainfall.\u003cbr>\nOn top of all that, the largest reservoir in Valley Water’s system is virtually empty at 3% full, after it was emptied so that the Anderson Dam near Morgan Hill could undergo seismic retrofitting. Valley Water is asking Santa Clara residents to cut water use by 15% to help stretch their water supplies in case we have another dry winter.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Russian River Water System\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976536\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1976536\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/RS49926_030_MendocinoCounty_LakeMendocinoDrought_06112021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"New vegetation grows on what was once the lake bed of Lake Mendocino on June 11, 2021.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New vegetation grows on what was once the lake bed of Lake Mendocino on June 11, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The 110-mile Russian River begins north of the Bay Area in Mendocino County and flows south until it reaches the Pacific Ocean west of Santa Rosa. The water system consists of reservoirs at Lake Sonoma, Lake Mendocino, and water diverted from the Eel River into the Russian River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This region is unique in that no water comes from the Sierra Nevada snowmelt. The Russian River watershed sits isolated from the rest of the state, and in dry times, communities in the region are on their own. In normal years, Sonoma also sells water to Marin County, so in dry years both counties feel the pinch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marin Water officials are concerned enough about their situation to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976066/gripped-by-drought-marin-considers-desalination-water-pipeline-over-the-richmond-bridge\">considering two pricey options\u003c/a>. One is to lease a desalination plant for $37 million. That would provide a third of the county’s drinking water needs. The other option is to build a water pipeline over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to transport water purchased from an entity with access to Delta water. That pipeline would cost between $66 – $88 million. Marin built a similar pipeline back in the late 1970s when it was especially dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Mokelumne River Water System\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>This river originates in the Central Sierra Nevada and flows west until it reaches the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. The East Bay Municipal Utility District built Pardee Dam on the river near Stockton in 1929. Water is delivered to the Bay Area through the 85-mile Mokelumne Aqueduct, which diverts the river’s water before it reaches the Delta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886541\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 900px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11886541\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the EBMUD aqueducts from the Mokelumne River Watershed.\" width=\"900\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water-800x347.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water-160x69.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of the EBMUD aqueducts from the Mokelumne River Watershed. \u003ccite>(Courtesy EBMUD)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Lake Berryessa\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The 23 mile-long reservoir was created in Napa County in the 1950s, when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built Monticello Dam on Putah Creek. Lake Berryessa water feeds several big cities in Solano County.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Local Water Supplies\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Many water districts use water from the surrounding watershed. It comes from local streams and rivers, fed by rainfall or is pumped from underground aquifers. Some districts also recycle water, which is primarily used for landscape irrigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Additional research by Shara Tonn.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/14623/bay-area-do-you-know-where-your-water-comes-from\">A version of this article originally published in 2014\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n","blocks":[],"excerpt":"For most of us in the Bay Area, the journey our water takes to reach us is hidden from view. It travels long distances, sometimes more than a hundred miles! That can leave us disconnected from the source. We go about our days oblivious to how precarious our water resources might be.","status":"publish","parent":0,"modified":1700588114,"stats":{"hasAudio":false,"hasVideo":false,"hasChartOrMap":false,"iframeSrcs":[],"hasGoogleForm":false,"hasGallery":false,"hasHearkenModule":true,"hasPolis":false,"paragraphCount":23,"wordCount":1078},"headData":{"title":"Bay Area: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From? | KQED","description":"For most of us in the Bay Area, the journey our water takes to reach us is hidden from view. It travels long distances, sometimes more than a hundred miles! That can leave us disconnected from the source. We go about our days oblivious to how precarious our water resources might be.","ogTitle":"","ogDescription":"","ogImgId":"","twTitle":"","twDescription":"","twImgId":""},"source":"Bay Curious","sourceUrl":"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious","audioUrl":"https://dcs.megaphone.fm/KQINC1083924910.mp3?key=f1b5fe5c9c47704bcf2b0a37fa982e0e","nprByline":"Lauren Sommer, Ezra David Romero, Katrina Schwartz","path":"/news/11886536/bay-area-do-you-know-where-your-water-comes-from-2","audioTrackLength":null,"parsedContent":[{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QoyW8Jt9q3Tq11l8ws3wc?si=3d913de8a11c45a8&nd=1\">Listen to all six episodes of our State of Drought series on Spotify. \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://bit.ly/39fV5VD\">Episode transcript\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area water system is a byzantine patchwork of agencies — more than 50 in all — that provides water to customers. Some are the ones you see on your water bill. Others are middlemen that provide water to local agencies at the wholesale level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some of that water makes a long journey. Southern California has the reputation for tapping far-flung sources for its water needs, but the Bay Area is in the same boat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than two-thirds of the Bay Area’s water supply comes from outside the region, which means in extreme drought years, local water districts are competing with many others around the state for limited supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"fullwidth"},"numeric":["fullwidth"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we suffer under another dry period, some parts of the Bay Area are experiencing the drought more acutely because of where they get their water. We’re going to break it down for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Bay Area Water Districts By Major Source of Supply\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 817px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11886556\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM.png\" alt=\"Graphic showing where bay area water districts get their water.\" width=\"817\" height=\"791\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM.png 817w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM-800x775.png 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-5.45.48-PM-160x155.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A breakdown of where different regions of the Bay Area get their water. \u003ccite>(Source: \u003ca href=\"https://wrpinfo.org/media/1283/abag-webinar-2015.pdf\">ABAG Infrastructure Vulnerability & Interdependencies Study (2014)\u003c/a>)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Hetch Hetchy Water System\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The system originates more than 100 miles from its primary customers, in Yosemite National Park. O’Shaughnessy Dam was built on the Tuolumne River in 1923 to create Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The water travels through a series of pipelines before it reaches the Bay Area and blends with five local reservoirs. The Tuolumne River joins the San Joaquin River and flows into the Delta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco depends on Hetch Hetchy for its water. The city’s direct access to a large amount of stored water means that even when precipitation levels are lower than average, residents don’t start seeing mandatory water restrictions right away. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is also a water wholesaler, selling water to places on the peninsula like Burlingame, Palo Alto, Hillsborough and Redwood City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city has long resisted proposals to drain Hetch Hetchy. In 2012, advocates of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/audio/century-old-battle-over-yosemites-second-valley-heats-up/\">put a measure on the San Francisco ballot\u003c/a> that would have required the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to study draining the reservoir and shifting the water to other storage facilities. The measure was defeated. In 2018, then Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke met with proponents of restoration, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/No-real-worry-that-Hetch-Hetchy-will-be-drained-13105043.php\">the discussions didn’t lead anywhere\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14633\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/HetchHetchy-1024x368.jpg\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-14633\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/HetchHetchy-1024x368.jpg\" alt=\"Click to enlarge map. (Credit: By Shannon1 [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"368\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click to enlarge map. (Credit: By Shannon1 \u003ca href=\"http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHetchhetchyprojmap.jpg\">via Wikimedia Commons\u003c/a>)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>California’s two major rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin, fed by half a dozen others, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/series/ca-delta/\">come together in this inland delta \u003c/a>just east of San Francisco Bay. The Delta’s watershed makes up about 45 percent of the state in all. Two-thirds of Californians use Delta water, delivered mainly through two major canal systems, the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 826px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1976534\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/DWR_USGS_bay_deltamap-826x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta\" width=\"826\" height=\"1024\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta is a massive system of waterways that provides water to fish, wildlife and people throughout California.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When we have prolonged drought, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/01/31/state-water-project-deliveries-canceled-because-of-drought\">water deliveries\u003c/a> from both these projects diminish, except for some drinking water supplies. Napa, Santa Clara, and Contra Costa counties all get some water out of the Delta. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has seen \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/science/series/ca-delta/\">dramatic ecological decline\u003c/a> due to habitat loss, invasive species and highly altered water flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County — and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1975989/san-jose-relies-on-water-from-the-sierra-nevada-climate-change-is-challenging-that-system\">San Jose, its largest city \u003c/a>— are in a particularly difficult water situation. In 2021, Santa Clara Valley Water, the water agency that serves San Jose, only received 5% of the water it contracts from the state, a quarter of what it sources from the feds, and has seen little local rainfall.\u003cbr>\nOn top of all that, the largest reservoir in Valley Water’s system is virtually empty at 3% full, after it was emptied so that the Anderson Dam near Morgan Hill could undergo seismic retrofitting. Valley Water is asking Santa Clara residents to cut water use by 15% to help stretch their water supplies in case we have another dry winter.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>Russian River Water System\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1976536\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1976536\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2014/02/RS49926_030_MendocinoCounty_LakeMendocinoDrought_06112021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"New vegetation grows on what was once the lake bed of Lake Mendocino on June 11, 2021.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">New vegetation grows on what was once the lake bed of Lake Mendocino on June 11, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The 110-mile Russian River begins north of the Bay Area in Mendocino County and flows south until it reaches the Pacific Ocean west of Santa Rosa. The water system consists of reservoirs at Lake Sonoma, Lake Mendocino, and water diverted from the Eel River into the Russian River.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This region is unique in that no water comes from the Sierra Nevada snowmelt. The Russian River watershed sits isolated from the rest of the state, and in dry times, communities in the region are on their own. In normal years, Sonoma also sells water to Marin County, so in dry years both counties feel the pinch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marin Water officials are concerned enough about their situation to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1976066/gripped-by-drought-marin-considers-desalination-water-pipeline-over-the-richmond-bridge\">considering two pricey options\u003c/a>. One is to lease a desalination plant for $37 million. That would provide a third of the county’s drinking water needs. The other option is to build a water pipeline over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to transport water purchased from an entity with access to Delta water. That pipeline would cost between $66 – $88 million. Marin built a similar pipeline back in the late 1970s when it was especially dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Mokelumne River Water System\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>This river originates in the Central Sierra Nevada and flows west until it reaches the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. The East Bay Municipal Utility District built Pardee Dam on the river near Stockton in 1929. Water is delivered to the Bay Area through the 85-mile Mokelumne Aqueduct, which diverts the river’s water before it reaches the Delta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11886541\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 900px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11886541\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the EBMUD aqueducts from the Mokelumne River Watershed.\" width=\"900\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water.jpg 900w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water-800x347.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/08/EBMUD-water-160x69.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Map of the EBMUD aqueducts from the Mokelumne River Watershed. \u003ccite>(Courtesy EBMUD)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Lake Berryessa\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The 23 mile-long reservoir was created in Napa County in the 1950s, when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built Monticello Dam on Putah Creek. Lake Berryessa water feeds several big cities in Solano County.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Local Water Supplies\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Many water districts use water from the surrounding watershed. It comes from local streams and rivers, fed by rainfall or is pumped from underground aquifers. Some districts also recycle water, which is primarily used for landscape irrigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Additional research by Shara Tonn.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/14623/bay-area-do-you-know-where-your-water-comes-from\">A version of this article originally published in 2014\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"ad","attributes":{"named":{"label":"floatright"},"numeric":["floatright"]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"component","content":"","name":"baycuriousquestion","attributes":{"named":{"label":""},"numeric":[]}},{"type":"contentString","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>","attributes":{"named":{},"numeric":[]}}],"link":"/news/11886536/bay-area-do-you-know-where-your-water-comes-from-2","authors":["byline_news_11886536"],"programs":["news_33523"],"series":["news_17986"],"categories":["news_33520","news_356"],"tags":["news_20447","news_19232","news_17601","news_28199","news_5892","news_464","news_6739"],"featImg":"news_11886547","label":"source_news_11886536"}},"programsReducer":{"possible":{"id":"possible","title":"Possible","info":"Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.","airtime":"SUN 2pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/possible-5gxfizEbKOJ-pbF5ASgxrs_.1400x1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.possible.fm/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Possible"},"link":"/radio/program/possible","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"}},"1a":{"id":"1a","title":"1A","info":"1A is home to the national conversation. 1A brings on great guests and frames the best debate in ways that make you think, share and engage.","airtime":"MON-THU 11pm-12am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/1a.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://the1a.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/1a","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=1188724250&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/1A-p947376/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510316/podcast.xml"}},"all-things-considered":{"id":"all-things-considered","title":"All Things Considered","info":"Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ATC_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/all-things-considered"},"american-suburb-podcast":{"id":"american-suburb-podcast","title":"American Suburb: The Podcast","tagline":"The flip side of gentrification, told through one town","info":"Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/powerpress/1440_0018_AmericanSuburb_iTunesTile_01.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"13"},"link":"/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"}},"baycurious":{"id":"baycurious","title":"Bay Curious","tagline":"Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time","info":"KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/powerpress/1440_0017_BayCurious_iTunesTile_01.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED Bay Curious","officialWebsiteLink":"/news/series/baycurious","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"4"},"link":"/podcasts/baycurious","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS9iYXktY3VyaW91cy1wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdA","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"}},"bbc-world-service":{"id":"bbc-world-service","title":"BBC World Service","info":"The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/BBC_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service","meta":{"site":"news","source":"BBC World Service"},"link":"/radio/program/bbc-world-service","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/","rss":"https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"}},"code-switch-life-kit":{"id":"code-switch-life-kit","title":"Code Switch / Life Kit","info":"\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />","airtime":"SUN 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CodeSwitchLifeKit_StationGraphics_300x300EmailGraphic.png","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"}},"commonwealth-club":{"id":"commonwealth-club","title":"Commonwealth Club of California Podcast","info":"The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.","airtime":"THU 10pm, FRI 1am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2019/07/commonwealthclub.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Commonwealth Club of California"},"link":"/radio/program/commonwealth-club","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"}},"considerthis":{"id":"considerthis","title":"Consider This","tagline":"Make sense of the day","info":"Make sense of the day. Every weekday afternoon, Consider This helps you consider the major stories of the day in less than 15 minutes, featuring the reporting and storytelling resources of NPR. Plus, KQED’s Bianca Taylor brings you the local KQED news you need to know.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Consider-This_3000_V3-copy-scaled-1.jpg","imageAlt":"Consider This from NPR and KQED","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/considerthis","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"7"},"link":"/podcasts/considerthis","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1503226625?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/coronavirusdaily","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM1NS9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3Z6JdCS2d0eFEpXHKI6WqH"}},"forum":{"id":"forum","title":"Forum","tagline":"The conversation starts here","info":"KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.","airtime":"MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2022/06/forum-logo-900x900tile-1.gif","imageAlt":"KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal","officialWebsiteLink":"/forum","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"8"},"link":"/forum","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"}},"freakonomics-radio":{"id":"freakonomics-radio","title":"Freakonomics Radio","info":"Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png","officialWebsiteLink":"http://freakonomics.com/","airtime":"SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/freakonomics-radio","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"}},"fresh-air":{"id":"fresh-air","title":"Fresh Air","info":"Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.","airtime":"MON-FRI 7pm-8pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/FreshAir_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/fresh-air","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"}},"here-and-now":{"id":"here-and-now","title":"Here & Now","info":"A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.","airtime":"MON-THU 11am-12pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/HereNow_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/here-and-now","subsdcribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"}},"how-i-built-this":{"id":"how-i-built-this","title":"How I Built This with Guy Raz","info":"Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this","airtime":"SUN 7:30pm-8pm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/how-i-built-this","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"}},"inside-europe":{"id":"inside-europe","title":"Inside Europe","info":"Inside Europe, a one-hour weekly news magazine hosted by Helen Seeney and Keith Walker, explores the topical issues shaping the continent. No other part of the globe has experienced such dynamic political and social change in recent years.","airtime":"SAT 3am-4am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/insideEurope.jpg","meta":{"site":"news","source":"Deutsche Welle"},"link":"/radio/program/inside-europe","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-europe/id80106806?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Inside-Europe-p731/","rss":"https://partner.dw.com/xml/podcast_inside-europe"}},"latino-usa":{"id":"latino-usa","title":"Latino USA","airtime":"MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm","info":"Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://latinousa.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/latino-usa","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"}},"live-from-here-highlights":{"id":"live-from-here-highlights","title":"Live from Here Highlights","info":"Chris Thile steps to the mic as the host of Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion), a live public radio variety show. Download Chris’s Song of the Week plus other highlights from the broadcast. Produced by American Public Media.","airtime":"SAT 6pm-8pm, SUN 11am-1pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/liveFromHere.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.livefromhere.org/","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"american public media"},"link":"/radio/program/live-from-here-highlights","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1167173941","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Live-from-Here-Highlights-p921744/","rss":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/a-prairie-home-companion-highlights/rss/rss"}},"marketplace":{"id":"marketplace","title":"Marketplace","info":"Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.","airtime":"MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/Marketplace_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.marketplace.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"American Public Media"},"link":"/radio/program/marketplace","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/","rss":"https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"}},"mindshift":{"id":"mindshift","title":"MindShift","tagline":"A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids","info":"The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mindshift2021-tile-3000x3000-1-scaled-1.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn","officialWebsiteLink":"/mindshift/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"2"},"link":"/podcasts/mindshift","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"}},"morning-edition":{"id":"morning-edition","title":"Morning Edition","info":"\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.","airtime":"MON-FRI 3am-9am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/ME_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/morning-edition"},"onourwatch":{"id":"onourwatch","title":"On Our Watch","tagline":"Police secrets, unsealed","info":"For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/OOW_Tile_Final.png","imageAlt":"On Our Watch from NPR and KQED","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/onourwatch","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"1"},"link":"/podcasts/onourwatch","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw","npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"}},"on-the-media":{"id":"on-the-media","title":"On The Media","info":"Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us","airtime":"SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"wnyc"},"link":"/radio/program/on-the-media","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/","rss":"http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"}},"our-body-politic":{"id":"our-body-politic","title":"Our Body Politic","info":"Presented by KQED, KCRW and KPCC, and created and hosted by award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they’re impacting those very issues.","airtime":"SAT 6pm-7pm, SUN 1am-2am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/77/2020/10/Our-Body-Politic_1600.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://our-body-politic.simplecast.com/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kcrw"},"link":"/radio/program/our-body-politic","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-body-politic/id1533069868","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feGFQaHMxcw","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/4ApAiLT1kV153TttWAmqmc","rss":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/_xaPhs1s","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/Our-Body-Politic-p1369211/"}},"pbs-newshour":{"id":"pbs-newshour","title":"PBS NewsHour","info":"Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.","airtime":"MON-FRI 3pm-4pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/PBS_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"pbs"},"link":"/radio/program/pbs-newshour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/","rss":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"}},"perspectives":{"id":"perspectives","title":"Perspectives","tagline":"KQED's series of of daily listener commentaries since 1991","info":"KQED's series of of daily listener commentaries since 1991.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/powerpress/1440_0010_Perspectives_iTunesTile_01.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/perspectives/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"15"},"link":"/perspectives","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"}},"planet-money":{"id":"planet-money","title":"Planet Money","info":"The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.","airtime":"SUN 3pm-4pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/planet-money","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"}},"politicalbreakdown":{"id":"politicalbreakdown","title":"Political Breakdown","tagline":"Politics from a personal perspective","info":"Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.","airtime":"THU 6:30pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PB24_Final-scaled.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Political Breakdown","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"11"},"link":"/podcasts/politicalbreakdown","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5Nzk2MzI2MTEx","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"}},"pri-the-world":{"id":"pri-the-world","title":"PRI's The World: Latest Edition","info":"Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.","airtime":"MON-FRI 2pm-3pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/TheWorld_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world","meta":{"site":"news","source":"PRI"},"link":"/radio/program/pri-the-world","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/","rss":"http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"}},"radiolab":{"id":"radiolab","title":"Radiolab","info":"A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.","airtime":"SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/radiolab","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/","rss":"https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"}},"reveal":{"id":"reveal","title":"Reveal","info":"Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.","airtime":"SAT 4pm-5pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/reveal","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/","rss":"http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"}},"says-you":{"id":"says-you","title":"Says You!","info":"Public radio's game show of bluff and bluster, words and whimsy. The warmest, wittiest cocktail party - it's spirited and civil, brainy and boisterous, peppered with musical interludes. Fast paced and playful, it's the most fun you can have with language without getting your mouth washed out with soap. Our motto: It's not important to know the answers, it's important to like the answers!","airtime":"SUN 4pm-5pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/saysYou.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.saysyouradio.com/","meta":{"site":"comedy","source":"Pipit and Finch"},"link":"/radio/program/says-you","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/says-you!/id1050199826","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Says-You-p480/","rss":"https://saysyou.libsyn.com/rss"}},"science-friday":{"id":"science-friday","title":"Science Friday","info":"Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.","airtime":"FRI 11am-1pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/scienceFriday.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/science-friday","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/","rss":"http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"}},"science-podcast":{"id":"science-podcast","title":"KQED Science News","tagline":"From the lab, to your ears","info":"KQED Science explores science and environment news, trends, and events from the Bay Area and beyond.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/powerpress/1440_0006_SciNews_iTunesTile_01.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/category/science-podcast/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"kqed","order":"17"},"link":"/science/category/science-podcast","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqed-science-news/id214663465","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2Jsb2dzLmtxZWQub3JnL3NjaWVuY2UvZmVlZC8","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed-science-news","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/category/science-podcast/feed/podcast"}},"selected-shorts":{"id":"selected-shorts","title":"Selected Shorts","info":"Spellbinding short stories by established and emerging writers take on a new life when they are performed by stars of the stage and screen.","airtime":"SAT 8pm-9pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/selectedShorts.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.pri.org/programs/selected-shorts","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"pri"},"link":"/radio/program/selected-shorts","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=253191824&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Selected-Shorts-p31792/","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/selectedshorts"}},"snap-judgment":{"id":"snap-judgment","title":"Snap Judgment","info":"Snap Judgment (Storytelling, with a BEAT) mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic, kick-ass radio. Snap’s raw, musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. WNYC studios is the producer of leading podcasts including Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, Note To Self, Here’s The Thing With Alec Baldwin, and more.","airtime":"SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/snapJudgement.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://snapjudgment.org","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/snap-judgment","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=283657561&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Snap-Judgment-p243817/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/snapjudgment-wnyc"}},"soldout":{"id":"soldout","title":"SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America","tagline":"A new future for housing","info":"Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Final-Tile-Design.png","imageAlt":"KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/soldout","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":3},"link":"/podcasts/soldout","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america","tunein":"https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc29sZG91dA"}},"ted-radio-hour":{"id":"ted-radio-hour","title":"TED Radio Hour","info":"The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.","airtime":"SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/ted-radio-hour","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"}},"tech-nation":{"id":"tech-nation","title":"Tech Nation Radio Podcast","info":"Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.","airtime":"FRI 10pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/techNation.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://technation.podomatic.com/","meta":{"site":"science","source":"Tech Nation Media"},"link":"/radio/program/tech-nation","subscribe":{"rss":"https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"}},"thebay":{"id":"thebay","title":"The Bay","tagline":"Local news to keep you rooted","info":"Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1440_0002_TheBay_iTunesTile_01.jpg","imageAlt":"\"KQED The Bay","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/thebay","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"kqed","order":"6"},"link":"/podcasts/thebay","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM4MjU5Nzg2MzI3","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ","rss":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"}},"californiareport":{"id":"californiareport","title":"The California Report","tagline":"California, day by day","info":"KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/77/2020/12/TCR-scaled.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The California Report","officialWebsiteLink":"/californiareport","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"9"},"link":"/californiareport","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"}},"californiareportmagazine":{"id":"californiareportmagazine","title":"The California Report Magazine","tagline":"Your state, your stories","info":"Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.","airtime":"FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/77/2020/12/TCRmag-scaled.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"/californiareportmagazine","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"10"},"link":"/californiareportmagazine","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"}},"theleap":{"id":"theleap","title":"The Leap","tagline":"What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?","info":"Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/powerpress/1440_0000_TheLeap_iTunestile_01.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The Leap","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/theleap","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"14"},"link":"/podcasts/theleap","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM0NTcwODQ2MjY2","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"}},"masters-of-scale":{"id":"masters-of-scale","title":"Masters of Scale","info":"Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.","airtime":"Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2019/06/mastersofscale.jpeg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://mastersofscale.com/","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"WaitWhat"},"link":"/radio/program/masters-of-scale","subscribe":{"apple":"http://mastersofscale.app.link/","rss":"https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"}},"the-moth-radio-hour":{"id":"the-moth-radio-hour","title":"The Moth Radio Hour","info":"Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.","airtime":"SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://themoth.org/","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"prx"},"link":"/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/","rss":"http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"}},"the-new-yorker-radio-hour":{"id":"the-new-yorker-radio-hour","title":"The New Yorker Radio Hour","info":"The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.","airtime":"SAT 10am-11am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theNewYorker.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"}},"the-takeaway":{"id":"the-takeaway","title":"The Takeaway","info":"The Takeaway is produced in partnership with its national audience. It delivers perspective and analysis to help us better understand the day’s news. Be a part of the American conversation on-air and online.","airtime":"MON-THU 12pm-1pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/TheTakeaway_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/takeaway","meta":{"site":"news","source":"WNYC"},"link":"/radio/program/the-takeaway","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-takeaway/id363143310?mt=2","tuneIn":"http://tunein.com/radio/The-Takeaway-p150731/","rss":"https://feeds.feedburner.com/takeawaypodcast"}},"this-american-life":{"id":"this-american-life","title":"This American Life","info":"This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.","airtime":"SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.thisamericanlife.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"wbez"},"link":"/radio/program/this-american-life","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","rss":"https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"}},"truthbetold":{"id":"truthbetold","title":"Truth Be Told","tagline":"Advice by and for people of color","info":"We’re the friend you call after a long day, the one who gets it. Through wisdom from some of the greatest thinkers of our time, host Tonya Mosley explores what it means to grow and thrive as a Black person in America, while discovering new ways of being that serve as a portal to more love, more healing, and more joy.","airtime":"","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/08/TBT_2020tile_3000x3000-scaled.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosley","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.kqed.ord/podcasts/truthbetold","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr","order":"12"},"link":"/podcasts/truthbetold","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-be-told/id1462216572","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS90cnV0aC1iZS10b2xkLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZA","npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/719210818/truth-be-told","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=398170&refid=stpr","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/587DhwTBxke6uvfwDfaV5N"}},"wait-wait-dont-tell-me":{"id":"wait-wait-dont-tell-me","title":"Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!","info":"Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.","airtime":"SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/waitWait.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"}},"washington-week":{"id":"washington-week","title":"Washington Week","info":"For 50 years, Washington Week has been the most intelligent and up to date conversation about the most important news stories of the week. Washington Week is the longest-running news and public affairs program on PBS and features journalists -- not pundits -- lending insight and perspective to the week's important news stories.","airtime":"SAT 1:30am-2am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/washington-week.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"pbs"},"link":"/radio/program/washington-week","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/washington-week-audio-pbs/id83324702?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Current-Affairs/Washington-Week-p693/","rss":"http://feeds.pbs.org/pbs/weta/washingtonweek-audio"}},"weekend-edition-saturday":{"id":"weekend-edition-saturday","title":"Weekend Edition Saturday","info":"Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.","airtime":"SAT 5am-10am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/WE_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"},"weekend-edition-sunday":{"id":"weekend-edition-sunday","title":"Weekend Edition Sunday","info":"Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.","airtime":"SUN 5am-10am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2021/10/WE_1400.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"},"world-affairs":{"id":"world-affairs","title":"World Affairs","info":"The world as we knew it is undergoing a rapid transformation…so what's next? Welcome to WorldAffairs, your guide to a changing world. We give you the context you need to navigate across borders and ideologies. Through sound-rich stories and in-depth interviews, we break down what it means to be a global citizen on a hot, crowded planet. Our hosts, Ray Suarez, Teresa Cotsirilos and Philip Yun help you make sense of an uncertain world, one story at a time.","airtime":"MON 10pm, TUE 1am, SAT 3am","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/worldaffairs-podcastlogo2021-scaled.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.worldaffairs.org/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"World Affairs"},"link":"/radio/program/world-affairs","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/world-affairs/id101215657?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/WorldAffairs-p1665/","rss":"https://worldaffairs.libsyn.com/rss"}},"on-shifting-ground":{"id":"on-shifting-ground","title":"On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez","info":"Geopolitical turmoil. A warming planet. Authoritarians on the rise. We live in a chaotic world that’s rapidly shifting around us. “On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez” explores international fault lines and how they impact us all. Each week, NPR veteran Ray Suarez hosts conversations with journalists, leaders and policy experts to help us read between the headlines – and give us hope for human resilience.","airtime":"MON 10pm, TUE 1am, SAT 3am","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2022/12/onshiftingground-600x600-1.png","officialWebsiteLink":"https://worldaffairs.org/radio-podcast/","meta":{"site":"news","source":"On Shifting Ground"},"link":"/radio/program/on-shifting-ground","subscribe":{"apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/on-shifting-ground/id101215657","rss":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/36668/rss"}},"hidden-brain":{"id":"hidden-brain","title":"Hidden Brain","info":"Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain","airtime":"SUN 7pm-8pm","meta":{"site":"news","source":"NPR"},"link":"/radio/program/hidden-brain","subscribe":{"apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2","tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"}},"city-arts":{"id":"city-arts","title":"City Arts & Lectures","info":"A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.cityarts.net/","airtime":"SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am","meta":{"site":"news","source":"City Arts & Lectures"},"link":"https://www.cityarts.net","subscribe":{"tuneIn":"https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/","rss":"https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"}},"white-lies":{"id":"white-lies","title":"White Lies","info":"In 1965, Rev. James Reeb was murdered in Selma, Alabama. Three men were tried and acquitted, but no one was ever held to account. Fifty years later, two journalists from Alabama return to the city where it happened, expose the lies that kept the murder from being solved and uncover a story about guilt and memory that says as much about America today as it does about the past.","imageSrc":"https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2019/04/16/white-lies_final_sq-b1391789cfa7562bf3a4cd0c9cdae27fc4fa01b9.jpg?s=800","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510343/white-lies","meta":{"site":"news","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/white-lies","subscribe":{"npr":"https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/whitelies","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1462650519?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM0My9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbA","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/12yZ2j8vxqhc0QZyRES3ft?si=LfWYEK6URA63hueKVxRLAw","rss":"https://feeds.npr.org/510343/podcast.xml"}},"rightnowish":{"id":"rightnowish","title":"Rightnowish","tagline":"Art is where you find it","info":"Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rightnowish_tile2021.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/rightnowish","meta":{"site":"arts","source":"kqed","order":"5"},"link":"/podcasts/rightnowish","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast","apple":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"}},"jerrybrown":{"id":"jerrybrown","title":"The Political Mind of Jerry Brown","tagline":"Lessons from a lifetime in politics","info":"The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ","imageSrc":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/powerpress/jerrybrownpodcast.jpg","imageAlt":"KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown","officialWebsiteLink":"/podcasts/jerrybrown","meta":{"site":"news","source":"kqed","order":"16"},"link":"/podcasts/jerrybrown","subscribe":{"npr":"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown","apple":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549","rss":"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/","tuneIn":"http://tun.in/pjGcK","stitcher":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown","spotify":"https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w","google":"https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zZXJpZXMvamVycnlicm93bi9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv"}},"the-splendid-table":{"id":"the-splendid-table","title":"The Splendid Table","info":"\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.","imageSrc":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/08/splendidtable-logo.jpeg","officialWebsiteLink":"https://www.splendidtable.org/","airtime":"SUN 10-11 pm","meta":{"site":"radio","source":"npr"},"link":"/radio/program/the-splendid-table"}},"racesReducer":{"5921":{"id":"5921","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 7","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":158422,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.97,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Doris Matsui","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":89456,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tom Silva","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":48920,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Mandel","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":20046,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-09T01:00:38.194Z"},"5922":{"id":"5922","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 8","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Rudy Recile","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John Garamendi","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5924":{"id":"5924","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 10","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":185034,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.07,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark DeSaulnier","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":121265,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katherine Piccinini","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34883,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nolan Chen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":19459,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Sweeney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":7606,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mohamed Elsherbini","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1821,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-09T01:02:32.415Z"},"5926":{"id":"5926","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":153801,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.88,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lateefah Simon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":85905,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jennifer Tran","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":22964,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tony Daysog","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":17197,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stephen Slauson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9699,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Glenn Kaplan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":6785,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4243,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Abdur Sikder","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2847,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ned Nuerge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2532,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Andre Todd","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1629,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-16T00:22:36.062Z"},"5928":{"id":"5928","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 14","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":125831,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.14,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Eric Swalwell","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":83989,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Vin Kruttiventi","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":22106,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Alison Hayden","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11928,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Luis Reynoso","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":7808,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:51:36.366Z"},"5930":{"id":"5930","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 16","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":182135,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.91,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","timeUpdated":"3:04 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sam Liccardo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":38489,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Evan Low","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":30249,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Simitian","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":30249,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Peter Ohtaki","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":23275,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Peter Dixon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14673,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Rishi Kumar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":12377,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Karl Ryan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11557,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Julie Lythcott-Haims","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11383,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ahmed Mostafa","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":5811,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Greg Tanaka","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2421,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joby Bernstein","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1651,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:32:05.002Z"},"5931":{"id":"5931","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 17","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":117534,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.92,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ro Khanna","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":73941,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Anita Chen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":31539,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Ritesh Tandon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":5728,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mario Ramirez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4491,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Joe Dehn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":1835,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-08T01:50:53.956Z"},"5932":{"id":"5932","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 18","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":96302,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.93,"eevp":98.83,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Zoe Lofgren","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":49323,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Peter Hernandez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":31622,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Charlene Nijmeh","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":10614,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Lawrence Milan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2712,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Luele Kifle","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2031,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:26:02.706Z"},"5963":{"id":"5963","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":139085,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.62,"eevp":98.6,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Greer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":38079,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Chris Rogers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":27126,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rusty Hicks","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25615,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ariel Kelley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19483,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Frankie Myers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":17694,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ted Williams","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":9550,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Cynthia Click","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1538,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-22T21:38:36.711Z"},"5972":{"id":"5972","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":99775,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lori Wilson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":50085,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Dave Ennis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":26074,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Wanda Wallis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14638,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jeffrey Flack","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":8978,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-08T02:01:24.524Z"},"5973":{"id":"5973","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":143532,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:38 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Damon Connolly","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":111275,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andy Podshadley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":17240,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Eryn Cervantes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15017,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-21T00:25:32.262Z"},"5975":{"id":"5975","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 14","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":106997,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.06,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Buffy Wicks","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":78678,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Margot Smith","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":18251,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Utkarsh Jain","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":10068,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-15T01:30:34.539Z"},"5976":{"id":"5976","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":97144,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.98,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sonia Ledo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":30946,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Anamarie Farias","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":29512,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Monica Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":24775,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Karen Mitchoff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11911,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T00:19:38.858Z"},"5977":{"id":"5977","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 16","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joseph Rubay","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rebecca Bauer-Kahan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5978":{"id":"5978","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 17","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":111003,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"8:25 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Matt Haney","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":90915,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Manuel Noris-Barrera","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":13843,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Otto Duke","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":6245,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:36:19.697Z"},"5979":{"id":"5979","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 18","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":86008,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.1,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:41 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mia Bonta","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":73040,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andre Sandford","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"AIP","voteCount":4575,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mindy Pechenuk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4389,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Cheyenne Kenney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4004,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T08:03:23.729Z"},"5980":{"id":"5980","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 19","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":113959,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.8,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Catherine Stefani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":64960,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":33035,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nadia Flamenco","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":8335,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Arjun Sodhani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":7629,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-11T23:50:23.109Z"},"5981":{"id":"5981","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 20","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:36 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Liz Ortega","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5982":{"id":"5982","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 21","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark Gilham","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Diane Papan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"5984":{"id":"5984","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 23","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":116963,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.91,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Marc Berman","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":67106,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Lydia Kou","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":23699,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Gus Mattammal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":13277,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Allan Marson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":12881,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T01:13:06.280Z"},"5987":{"id":"5987","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 26","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":72753,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Patrick Ahrens","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25036,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tara Sreekrishnan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19600,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Sophie Song","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15954,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Omar Din","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":8772,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Bob Goodwyn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":2170,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ashish Garg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1221,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T21:06:29.070Z"},"5989":{"id":"5989","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 28","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Gail Pellerin","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Liz Lawler","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6010":{"id":"6010","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 49","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:36 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Fong","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Long Liu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6018":{"id":"6018","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":229348,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.05,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:38 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jared Huffman","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":169005,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Chris Coulombe","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":37372,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tief Gibbs","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":18437,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jolian Kangas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":3166,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Brisendine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":1368,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:46:10.103Z"},"6020":{"id":"6020","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":187640,"precinctsReportPercentage":96.32,"eevp":96.36,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Thompson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":118147,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John Munn","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":56232,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Andrew Engdahl","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":11202,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Niket Patwardhan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":2059,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-07T00:30:57.980Z"},"6025":{"id":"6025","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 9","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":121271,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.17,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Josh Harder","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":60396,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Kevin Lincoln","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":36346,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"John McBride","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":15525,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Khalid Jafri","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9004,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:49:44.113Z"},"6031":{"id":"6031","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Anna Kramer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Kevin Mullin","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6035":{"id":"6035","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 19","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":203670,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.11,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jimmy Panetta","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":132540,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jason Anderson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":58120,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Sean Dougherty","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Grn","voteCount":13010,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-07T00:23:46.779Z"},"6066":{"id":"6066","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 3","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jamie Gallagher","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Aaron Draper","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6067":{"id":"6067","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 4","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Cecilia Aguiar-Curry","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6087":{"id":"6087","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 24","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":66643,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.19,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Alex Lee","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":45544,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bob Brunton","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14951,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marti Souza","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":6148,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T23:23:49.770Z"},"6088":{"id":"6088","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 25","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":69560,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.31,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ash Kalra","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":35821,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Ted Stroll","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":18255,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Lan Ngo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":15484,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-14T02:40:57.200Z"},"6092":{"id":"6092","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State House, District 29","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Robert Rivas","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"J.W. Paine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6223":{"id":"6223","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 46","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:16 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lou Correa","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"David Pan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6530":{"id":"6530","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 3","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":222193,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Thom Bogue","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":61776,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Christopher Cabaldon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":59041,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Rozzana Verder-Aliga","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":45546,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jackie Elward","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":41127,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jimih Jones","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":14703,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-15T01:24:31.539Z"},"6531":{"id":"6531","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":171623,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.09,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:10 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jim Shoemaker","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":74935,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jerry McNerney","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":57040,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Carlos Villapudua","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":39648,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T20:07:46.382Z"},"6532":{"id":"6532","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 7","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":192446,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.72,"eevp":98.78,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:48 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jesse Arreguín","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":61837,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Jovanka Beckles","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":34025,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Dan Kalb","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":28842,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Kathryn Lybarger","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":28041,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sandre Swanson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":22862,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jeanne Solnordal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":16839,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-16T00:58:11.533Z"},"6533":{"id":"6533","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 9","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Tim Grayson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marisol Rubio","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6534":{"id":"6534","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":228260,"precinctsReportPercentage":99.09,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Scott Wiener","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":166592,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Yvette Corkrean","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34438,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Cynthia Cravens","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":18513,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jing Xiong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":8717,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T02:01:51.597Z"},"6535":{"id":"6535","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 13","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":227191,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.88,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Josh Becker","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":167127,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Alexander Glew","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":42788,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Christina Laskowski","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":17276,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T01:56:24.964Z"},"6536":{"id":"6536","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 15","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":180231,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.81,"eevp":98.95,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:20 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Dave Cortese","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":124440,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Robert Howell","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34173,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Tony Loaiza","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":21618,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-13T01:15:45.365Z"},"6548":{"id":"6548","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"State Senate, District 39","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":0,"uncontested":true,"precinctsReportPercentage":0,"eevp":0,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 20, 2024","timeUpdated":"4:55 PM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Akilah Weber","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bob Divine","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":0,"isWinner":true}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:00:30.000Z"},"6611":{"id":"6611","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 11","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":188732,"precinctsReportPercentage":98.89,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 22, 2024","timeUpdated":"8:25 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Nancy Pelosi","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":138285,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Bruce Lou","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":16285,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marjorie Mikels","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":9363,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Bianca Von Krieg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":7634,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Zeng","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":6607,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jason Boyce","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":4325,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Larry Nichelson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3482,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eve Del Castello","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2751,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-12T00:31:55.445Z"},"8589":{"id":"8589","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. Senate, Class I","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":7276537,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Adam Schiff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2299507,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Steve Garvey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2292414,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katie Porter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1115606,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Barbara Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":714408,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Early","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":240723,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"James Bradley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":98180,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Christina Pascucci","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":61755,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sharleta Bassett","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":54422,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sarah Liew","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":38483,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Laura Garza ","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":34320,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Jonathan Reiss","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":34283,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sepi Gilani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":34056,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Gail Lightfoot","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"Lib","voteCount":33046,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Denice Gary-Pandol","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":25494,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"James Macauley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":23168,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Harmesh Kumar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21522,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"David Peterson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21076,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Douglas Pierce","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":19371,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Major Singh","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":16965,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"John Rose","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14577,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Perry Pound","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":14134,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Raji Rab","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":13558,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Mark Ruzon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":13429,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Forrest Jones","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"AIP","voteCount":13027,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stefan Simchowitz","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":12717,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Martin Veprauskas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":9714,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Don Grundmann","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"NPP","voteCount":6582,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T05:01:46.589Z"},"8686":{"id":"8686","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"President,","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":3589127,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:48 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joe Biden","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":3200188,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Marianne Williamson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":145690,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Dean Phillips","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":99981,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Armando Perez-Serrato","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":42925,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Gabriel Cornejo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":41261,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"President Boddie","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":25373,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Stephen Lyons","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":21008,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eban Cambridge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":12701,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:12:27.559Z"},"8688":{"id":"8688","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"President,","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":2466569,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Donald Trump","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":1953947,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Nikki Haley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":430792,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ron DeSantis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":35581,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Chris Christie","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":20164,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Vivek Ramaswamy","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":11069,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Rachel Swift","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":4231,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"David Stuckenberg","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3895,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Ryan Binkley","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3563,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Asa Hutchinson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":3327,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:13:19.766Z"},"81993":{"id":"81993","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"U.S. Senate, Class I Unexpired Term","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top2","totalVotes":7358837,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Steve Garvey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":2444940,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Adam Schiff","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":2155146,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"Katie Porter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":1269194,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Barbara Lee","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":863278,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Eric Early","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"R","voteCount":448788,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Christina Pascucci","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":109421,"isWinner":false},{"candidateName":"Sepi Gilani","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"D","voteCount":68070,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-06T04:31:08.186Z"},"82014":{"id":"82014","type":"apRace","location":"State of California","raceName":"Proposition, 1 - Behavioral Health Services Program","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceType":"top1","totalVotes":7221972,"precinctsReportPercentage":99,"eevp":99,"tabulationStatus":"Tabulation Paused","dateUpdated":"March 25, 2024","timeUpdated":"5:47 AM","source":"AP","candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":null,"voteCount":3624998,"isWinner":true},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":null,"voteCount":3596974,"isWinner":false}],"winnerDateTime":"2024-03-21T00:11:06.265Z"},"timeLoaded":"April 16, 2024 11:45 AM","nationalRacesLoaded":true,"localRacesLoaded":true,"overrides":[{"id":"5921","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 7","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5922","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 8","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5924","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 10","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5926","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 12","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/congress-12th-district"},{"id":"5928","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 14","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5930","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 16","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/congress-16th-district"},{"id":"5931","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 17","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5932","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 18","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5963","raceName":"State Assembly, District 2","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5972","raceName":"State Assembly, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5973","raceName":"State Assembly, District 12","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5975","raceName":"State Assembly, District 14","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5976","raceName":"State Assembly, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta/state-assembly"},{"id":"5977","raceName":"State Assembly, District 16","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5978","raceName":"State Assembly, District 17","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5979","raceName":"State Assembly, District 18","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5980","raceName":"State Assembly, District 19","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5981","raceName":"State Assembly, District 20","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5982","raceName":"State Assembly, District 21","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"5984","raceName":"State Assembly, District 23","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-assembly-23rd-district"},{"id":"5987","raceName":"State Assembly, District 26","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/state-assembly-26th-district"},{"id":"5989","raceName":"State Assembly, District 28","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6010","raceName":"State Assembly, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6018","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 2","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6020","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6025","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 9","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6031","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6035","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 19","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6067","raceName":"State Assembly, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6087","raceName":"State Assembly, District 24","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6088","raceName":"State Assembly, District 25","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6092","raceName":"State Assembly, District 29","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6223","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 4","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6530","raceName":"State Senate, District 3","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-senate-3rd-district"},{"id":"6531","raceName":"State Senate, District 5","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6532","raceName":"State Senate, District 7","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/state-senate-7th-district"},{"id":"6533","raceName":"State Senate, District 9","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6534","raceName":"State Senate, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6535","raceName":"State Senate, District 13","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6536","raceName":"State Senate, District 15","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"6611","raceName":"U.S. House of Representatives, District 11","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":""},{"id":"8589","raceName":"U.S. Senate (Full Term)","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/senator"},{"id":"8686","raceName":"California Democratic Presidential Primary","raceDescription":"Candidates are competing for 496 delegates.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/president/democrat"},{"id":"8688","raceName":"California Republican Presidential Primary","raceDescription":"Candidates are competing for 169 delegates.","raceReadTheStory":"https://kqed.org/elections/results/president/republican"},{"id":"81993","raceName":"U.S. Senate (Partial/Unexpired Term)","raceDescription":"Top two candidates advance to general election."},{"id":"82014","raceName":"Proposition 1","raceDescription":"Bond and mental health reforms. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/california/proposition-1"}],"AlamedaJudge5":{"id":"AlamedaJudge5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":200601,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Terry Wiley","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":200601}]},"AlamedaJudge12":{"id":"AlamedaJudge12","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 12","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":240853,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mark Fickes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":133009},{"candidateName":"Michael P. Johnson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":107844}]},"AlamedaBoard2":{"id":"AlamedaBoard2","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 2","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":33580,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"John Lewis","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6943},{"candidateName":"Angela Normand","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":26637}]},"AlamedaBoard5":{"id":"AlamedaBoard5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 5","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":26072,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Guadalupe \"Lupe\" Angulo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7521},{"candidateName":"Janevette Cole","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13338},{"candidateName":"Joe Orlando Ramos","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5213}]},"AlamedaBoard6":{"id":"AlamedaBoard6","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Education, Trustee Area 6","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":30864,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"John Guerrero","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9989},{"candidateName":"Eileen McDonald","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20875}]},"AlamedaSup1":{"id":"AlamedaSup1","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":41038,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Haubert","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":41038}]},"AlamedaSup2":{"id":"AlamedaSup2","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":31034,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Elisa Márquez","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":31034}]},"AlamedaSup4":{"id":"AlamedaSup4","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":57007,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jennifer Esteen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22400},{"candidateName":"Nate Miley","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":34607}]},"AlamedaSup5":{"id":"AlamedaSup5","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":81059,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Ben Bartlett","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13518},{"candidateName":"Nikki Fortunato Bas","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":27597},{"candidateName":"John J. Bauters","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":16783},{"candidateName":"Ken Berrick","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7520},{"candidateName":"Omar Farmer","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1240},{"candidateName":"Gregory Hodge","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3419},{"candidateName":"Chris Moore","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7428},{"candidateName":"Gerald Pechenuk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":305},{"candidateName":"Lorrel Plimier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3249}]},"AlamedaBoard7":{"id":"AlamedaBoard7","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Flood Control & Water Conservation District Director, Zone 7, Full Term","raceDescription":"Top three candidates win seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top3","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":134340,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Alan Burnham","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":15723},{"candidateName":"Sandy Figuers","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22454},{"candidateName":"Laurene K. Green","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":30343},{"candidateName":"Kathy Narum","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23833},{"candidateName":"Seema Badar","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7468},{"candidateName":"Catherine Brown","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":34519}]},"AlamedaAuditor":{"id":"AlamedaAuditor","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Oakland Auditor","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":59227,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Houston","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":59227}]},"AlamedaMeasureA":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Alameda County. Civil service. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":282335,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":167903},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":114432}]},"AlamedaMeasureB":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Alameda County. Recall rules. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/alameda/measure-b","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":282683,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":182200},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":100483}]},"AlamedaMeasureD":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Oakland. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":79797,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":59852},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":19945}]},"AlamedaMeasureE":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Alameda Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":22692,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":17280},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5412}]},"AlamedaMeasureF":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureF","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure F","raceDescription":"Piedmont. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":4855,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3673},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1182}]},"AlamedaMeasureG":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Albany Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":5898,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4651},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1247}]},"AlamedaMeasureH":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Berkeley Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":33331,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":29418},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3913}]},"AlamedaMeasureI":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureI","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure I","raceDescription":"Hayward Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":21929,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14151},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7778}]},"AlamedaMeasureJ":{"id":"AlamedaMeasureJ","type":"localRace","location":"Alameda","raceName":"Measure J","raceDescription":"San Leandro Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:02 PM","dateUpdated":"April 1, 2024","totalVotes":12338,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7784},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4554}]},"CCD2":{"id":"CCD2","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":45776,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Candace Andersen","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":45776}]},"CCD3":{"id":"CCD3","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":25120,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Diane Burgis","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":25120}]},"CCD5":{"id":"CCD5","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/contracosta/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":37045,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Barbanica","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14338},{"candidateName":"Jelani Killings","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5683},{"candidateName":"Shanelle Scales-Preston","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":12993},{"candidateName":"Iztaccuauhtli Hector Gonzalez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4031}]},"CCMeasureA":{"id":"CCMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Martinez. Appoint City Clerk. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":11513,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7554},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3959}]},"CCMeasureB":{"id":"CCMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Antioch Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":17971,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10397},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7574}]},"CCMeasureC":{"id":"CCMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Martinez Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":9230,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6917},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2313}]},"CCMeasureD":{"id":"CCMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Contra Costa","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Moraga School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:45 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":6007,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4052},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1955}]},"MarinD2":{"id":"MarinD2","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/supervisor-2nd-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":18466,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Brian Colbert","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7971},{"candidateName":"Heather McPhail Sridharan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4851},{"candidateName":"Ryan O'Neil","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2647},{"candidateName":"Gabe Paulson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2997}]},"MarinD3":{"id":"MarinD3","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":13274,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Stephanie Moulton-Peters","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13274}]},"MarinD4":{"id":"MarinD4","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":12986,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Dennis Rodoni","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10086},{"candidateName":"Francis Drouillard","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2900}]},"MarinLarkspurCC":{"id":"MarinLarkspurCC","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Larkspur City Council (Short Term)","raceDescription":"Top candidate wins seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":4176,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Stephanie Andre","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2514},{"candidateName":"Claire Paquette","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1008},{"candidateName":"Lana Scott","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":654}]},"MarinRossCouncil":{"id":"MarinRossCouncil","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Ross Town Council","raceDescription":"Top three candidates win seat.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top3","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1740,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Charles William \"Bill\" Kircher, Jr.","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":536},{"candidateName":"Mathew Salter","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":502},{"candidateName":"Shadi Aboukhater","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":187},{"candidateName":"Teri Dowling","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":515}]},"MarinMeasureA":{"id":"MarinMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Tamalpais Union High School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":45345,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":24376},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20969}]},"MarinMeasureB":{"id":"MarinMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Petaluma Joint Union High School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":132,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":62},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":70}]},"MarinMeasureC":{"id":"MarinMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Belvedere. Appropriation limit. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":870,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":679},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":191}]},"MarinMeasureD":{"id":"MarinMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Larkspur. Rent stabilization. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measure-d","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":4955,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2573},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2382}]},"MarinMeasureE":{"id":"MarinMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Ross. Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measure-e","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":874,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":683},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":191}]},"MarinMeasureF":{"id":"MarinMeasureF","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure F","raceDescription":"San Anselmo. Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":5193,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3083},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2110}]},"MarinMeasureG":{"id":"MarinMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Bel Marin Keys Community Services District. Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":830,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":661},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":169}]},"MarinMeasureH":{"id":"MarinMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Marinwood Community Services District. Appropriations limit, fire protection. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1738,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1369},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":369}]},"MarinMeasureI":{"id":"MarinMeasureI","type":"localRace","location":"Marin","raceName":"Measure I","raceDescription":"Marinwood Community Services District. Appropriations limit, parks. Passes with a majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:54 PM","dateUpdated":"March 27, 2024","totalVotes":1735,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1336},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":399}]},"NapaD2":{"id":"NapaD2","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":8351,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Liz Alessio","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6340},{"candidateName":"Doris Gentry","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2011}]},"NapaD4":{"id":"NapaD4","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/napa/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":7306,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Amber Manfree","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3913},{"candidateName":"Pete Mott","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3393}]},"NapaD5":{"id":"NapaD5","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/napa/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":5356,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mariam Aboudamous","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2379},{"candidateName":"Belia Ramos","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2977}]},"NapaMeasureD":{"id":"NapaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Howell Mountain Elementary School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":741,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":367},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":374}]},"NapaMeasureU":{"id":"NapaMeasureU","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure U","raceDescription":"Lake Berryessa Resort Improvement District. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":86,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":63},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23}]},"NapaMeasureU1":{"id":"NapaMeasureU1","type":"localRace","location":"Napa","raceName":"Measure U","raceDescription":"Yountville. Appropriations limit. Passes with majority vote. ","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"April 3, 2024","totalVotes":925,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":793},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":132}]},"SFJudge1":{"id":"SFJudge1","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Seat 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/superior-court-seat-1","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":202960,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Begert","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":124943},{"candidateName":"Chip Zecher","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":78017}]},"SFJudge13":{"id":"SFJudge13","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Seat 13","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/superior-court-seat-13","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":202386,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jean Myungjin Roland","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":90012},{"candidateName":"Patrick S. Thompson","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":112374}]},"SFPropA":{"id":"SFPropA","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition A","raceDescription":"Housing bond. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-a","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":225187,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":158497},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":66690}]},"SFPropB":{"id":"SFPropB","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition B","raceDescription":"Police staffing. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222954,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":61580},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":161374}]},"SFPropC":{"id":"SFPropC","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition C","raceDescription":"Transfer tax exemption. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":220349,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":116311},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":104038}]},"SFPropD":{"id":"SFPropD","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition D","raceDescription":"Ethics laws. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222615,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":198584},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":24031}]},"SFPropE":{"id":"SFPropE","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition E","raceDescription":"Police policies. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-e","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222817,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":120529},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":102288}]},"SFPropF":{"id":"SFPropF","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition F","raceDescription":"Drug screening. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanfrancisco/proposition-f","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":224004,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":130214},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":93790}]},"SFPropG":{"id":"SFPropG","type":"localRace","location":"San Francisco","raceName":"Proposition G","raceDescription":"Eighth-grade algebra. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:50 PM","dateUpdated":"March 21, 2024","totalVotes":222704,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":182066},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":40638}]},"SMJudge4":{"id":"SMJudge4","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":108919,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Sarah Burdick","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":108919}]},"SMD1":{"id":"SMD1","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanmateo/supervisor-1st-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":29650,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jackie Speier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":20353},{"candidateName":"Ann Schneider","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9297}]},"SMD4":{"id":"SMD4","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sanmateo/supervisor-4th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":22725,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Antonio Lopez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5730},{"candidateName":"Lisa Gauthier","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10358},{"candidateName":"Celeste Brevard","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1268},{"candidateName":"Paul Bocanegra","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1909},{"candidateName":"Maggie Cornejo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3460}]},"SMD5":{"id":"SMD5","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":19937,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Canepa","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":19937}]},"SMMeasureB":{"id":"SMMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"County Service Area #1 (Highlands). Special tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":1549,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1360},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":189}]},"SMMeasureC":{"id":"SMMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Jefferson Elementary School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":12234,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8543},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3691}]},"SMMeasureE":{"id":"SMMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Woodside Elementary School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":1392,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":910},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":482}]},"SMMeasureG":{"id":"SMMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Pacifica School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":11548,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7067},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4481}]},"SMMeasureH":{"id":"SMMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"San Mateo","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"San Carlos School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:56 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":9938,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6283},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3655}]},"SCJudge5":{"id":"SCJudge5","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":301953,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Jay Boyarsky","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":142549},{"candidateName":"Nicole M. Ford","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":52147},{"candidateName":"Johnene Linda Stebbins","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":107257}]},"SCD2":{"id":"SCD2","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/supervisor-2nd-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":44059,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Corina Herrera-Loera","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10519},{"candidateName":"Jennifer Margaret Celaya","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2394},{"candidateName":"Madison Nguyen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":12794},{"candidateName":"Betty Duong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14031},{"candidateName":"Nelson McElmurry","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4321}]},"SCD3":{"id":"SCD3","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":42549,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Otto Lee","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":42549}]},"SCD5":{"id":"SCD5","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/santaclara/supervisor-5th-district","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":88712,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Margaret Abe-Koga","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":37172},{"candidateName":"Sally J. Lieber","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":21962},{"candidateName":"Barry Chang","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6164},{"candidateName":"Peter C. Fung","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":17892},{"candidateName":"Sandy Sans","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5522}]},"SCSJMayor":{"id":"SCSJMayor","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José Mayor","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":167064,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Matt Mahan","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":144701},{"candidateName":"Tyrone Wade","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":22363}]},"SCSJD2":{"id":"SCSJD2","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14131,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Joe Lopez","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4950},{"candidateName":"Pamela Campos","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3436},{"candidateName":"Vanessa Sandoval","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2719},{"candidateName":"Babu Prasad","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3026}]},"SCSJD4":{"id":"SCSJD4","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14322,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Kansen Chu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5931},{"candidateName":"David Cohen","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8391}]},"SCSJD6":{"id":"SCSJD6","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 6","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":25108,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"David Cohen","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9875},{"candidateName":"Alex Shoor","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3850},{"candidateName":"Angelo \"A.J.\" Pasciuti","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2688},{"candidateName":"Michael Mulcahy","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8695}]},"SCSJD8":{"id":"SCSJD8","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 8","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":21462,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Tam Truong","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6982},{"candidateName":"Domingo Candelas","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8466},{"candidateName":"Sukhdev Singh Bainiwal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5513},{"candidateName":"Surinder Kaur Dhaliwal","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":501}]},"SCSJD10":{"id":"SCSJD10","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"San José City Council, District 10","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top2","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":22799,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"George Casey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8805},{"candidateName":"Arjun Batra","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8354},{"candidateName":"Lenka Wright","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5640}]},"SCMeasureA":{"id":"SCMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Santa Clara. Appointed city clerk. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":20315,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6580},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":13735}]},"SCMeasureB":{"id":"SCMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Santa Clara. Appointed police chief. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":20567,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5680},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":14887}]},"SCMeasureC":{"id":"SCMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Santa Clara","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Sunnyvale School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:05 PM","dateUpdated":"April 4, 2024","totalVotes":14656,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10261},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4395}]},"SolanoD15":{"id":"SolanoD15","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Department 15","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":81709,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mike Thompson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":36844},{"candidateName":"Bryan J. Kim","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":44865}]},"SolanoD1":{"id":"SolanoD1","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/supervisor-1st-district","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":13786,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Michael Wilson","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6401},{"candidateName":"Cassandra James","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7385}]},"SolanoD2":{"id":"SolanoD2","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 2","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":19903,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Monica Brown","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10951},{"candidateName":"Nora Dizon","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3135},{"candidateName":"Rochelle Sherlock","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5817}]},"SolanoD5":{"id":"SolanoD5","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":17888,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Mitch Mashburn","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":11210},{"candidateName":"Chadwick J. Ledoux","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6678}]},"SolanoEducation":{"id":"SolanoEducation","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Sacramento County Board of Education","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":3650,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Heather Davis","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2960},{"candidateName":"Shazleen Khan","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":690}]},"SolanoMeasureA":{"id":"SolanoMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Benicia. Hotel tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/measure-a","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10136,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7869},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2267}]},"SolanoMeasureB":{"id":"SolanoMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Benicia. Sales tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/solano/measure-b","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10164,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7335},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":2829}]},"SolanoMeasureC":{"id":"SolanoMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Benicia Unified School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":10112,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6316},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3796}]},"SolanoMeasureN":{"id":"SolanoMeasureN","type":"localRace","location":"Solano","raceName":"Measure N","raceDescription":"Davis Joint Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"7:08 PM","dateUpdated":"March 28, 2024","totalVotes":15,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10}]},"SonomaJudge3":{"id":"SonomaJudge3","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":115405,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Kristine M. Burk","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":79498},{"candidateName":"Beki Berrey","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":35907}]},"SonomaJudge4":{"id":"SonomaJudge4","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 4","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":86789,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Paul J. Lozada","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":86789}]},"SonomaJudge6":{"id":"SonomaJudge6","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Superior Court Judge, Office 6","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":117990,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Omar Figueroa","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":42236},{"candidateName":"Kenneth English","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":75754}]},"SonomaD1":{"id":"SonomaD1","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 1","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":30348,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Rebecca Hermosillo","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23958},{"candidateName":"Jonathan Mathieu","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":6390}]},"SonomaD3":{"id":"SonomaD3","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 3","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sonoma/supervisor-3rd-district","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":16312,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Chris Coursey","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":11346},{"candidateName":"Omar Medina","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":4966}]},"SonomaD5":{"id":"SonomaD5","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Board of Supervisors, District 5","raceDescription":"Candidate with majority vote wins seat. If no candidate reaches majority, top two candidates advance to runoff in general election.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"top1","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":23356,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Lynda Hopkins","candidateIncumbent":true,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":23356}]},"SonomaMeasureA":{"id":"SonomaMeasureA","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure A","raceDescription":"Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":13756,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":10320},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3436}]},"SonomaMeasureB":{"id":"SonomaMeasureB","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure B","raceDescription":"Petaluma Joint Union High School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":24877,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":15795},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":9082}]},"SonomaMeasureC":{"id":"SonomaMeasureC","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure C","raceDescription":"Fort Ross School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":286,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":159},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":127}]},"SonomaMeasureD":{"id":"SonomaMeasureD","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure D","raceDescription":"Harmony Union School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":1925,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":1089},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":836}]},"SonomaMeasureE":{"id":"SonomaMeasureE","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure E","raceDescription":"Petaluma City (Elementary) School District. Parcel tax. Passes with 2/3 vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":11133,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":7622},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":3511}]},"SonomaMeasureG":{"id":"SonomaMeasureG","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure G","raceDescription":"Rincon Valley Union School District. School bond. Passes with 55% vote.","raceReadTheStory":"","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":14577,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":8668},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":5909}]},"SonomaMeasureH":{"id":"SonomaMeasureH","type":"localRace","location":"Sonoma","raceName":"Measure H","raceDescription":"Sonoma County. Sales tax. Passes with majority vote.","raceReadTheStory":"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/sonoma/measure-h","raceType":"yesNo","timeUpdated":"6:51 PM","dateUpdated":"March 29, 2024","totalVotes":145261,"candidates":[{"candidateName":"Yes","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":89646},{"candidateName":"No","candidateIncumbent":false,"candidateParty":"","voteCount":55615}]}},"radioSchedulesReducer":{},"listsReducer":{"posts/news?tag=groundwater":{"isFetching":false,"latestQuery":{"from":0,"postsToRender":9},"tag":null,"vitalsOnly":true,"totalRequested":9,"isLoading":false,"isLoadingMore":true,"total":26,"items":["news_11973512","news_11970957","news_11966468","news_11947248","news_11940344","news_11937849","news_11925400","news_11891401","news_11886536"]}},"recallGuideReducer":{"intros":{},"policy":{},"candidates":{}},"savedPostsReducer":{},"sessionReducer":{},"siteSettingsReducer":{},"subscriptionsReducer":{},"termsReducer":{"about":{"name":"About","type":"terms","id":"about","slug":"about","link":"/about","taxonomy":"site"},"arts":{"name":"Arts & Culture","grouping":["arts","pop","trulyca"],"description":"KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.","type":"terms","id":"arts","slug":"arts","link":"/arts","taxonomy":"site"},"artschool":{"name":"Art School","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"artschool","slug":"artschool","link":"/artschool","taxonomy":"site"},"bayareabites":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"bayareabites","slug":"bayareabites","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"bayareahiphop":{"name":"Bay Area Hiphop","type":"terms","id":"bayareahiphop","slug":"bayareahiphop","link":"/bayareahiphop","taxonomy":"site"},"campaign21":{"name":"Campaign 21","type":"terms","id":"campaign21","slug":"campaign21","link":"/campaign21","taxonomy":"site"},"checkplease":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"checkplease","slug":"checkplease","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"education":{"name":"Education","grouping":["education"],"type":"terms","id":"education","slug":"education","link":"/education","taxonomy":"site"},"elections":{"name":"Elections","type":"terms","id":"elections","slug":"elections","link":"/elections","taxonomy":"site"},"events":{"name":"Events","type":"terms","id":"events","slug":"events","link":"/events","taxonomy":"site"},"event":{"name":"Event","alias":"events","type":"terms","id":"event","slug":"event","link":"/event","taxonomy":"site"},"filmschoolshorts":{"name":"Film School Shorts","type":"terms","id":"filmschoolshorts","slug":"filmschoolshorts","link":"/filmschoolshorts","taxonomy":"site"},"food":{"name":"KQED food","grouping":["food","bayareabites","checkplease"],"type":"terms","id":"food","slug":"food","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"forum":{"name":"Forum","relatedContentQuery":"posts/forum?","parent":"news","type":"terms","id":"forum","slug":"forum","link":"/forum","taxonomy":"site"},"futureofyou":{"name":"Future of You","grouping":["science","futureofyou"],"parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"futureofyou","slug":"futureofyou","link":"/futureofyou","taxonomy":"site"},"jpepinheart":{"name":"KQED food","relatedContentQuery":"trending/food,bayareabites,checkplease","parent":"food","type":"terms","id":"jpepinheart","slug":"jpepinheart","link":"/food","taxonomy":"site"},"liveblog":{"name":"Live Blog","type":"terms","id":"liveblog","slug":"liveblog","link":"/liveblog","taxonomy":"site"},"livetv":{"name":"Live TV","parent":"tv","type":"terms","id":"livetv","slug":"livetv","link":"/livetv","taxonomy":"site"},"lowdown":{"name":"The Lowdown","relatedContentQuery":"posts/lowdown?","parent":"news","type":"terms","id":"lowdown","slug":"lowdown","link":"/lowdown","taxonomy":"site"},"mindshift":{"name":"Mindshift","parent":"news","description":"MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.","type":"terms","id":"mindshift","slug":"mindshift","link":"/mindshift","taxonomy":"site"},"news":{"name":"News","grouping":["news","forum"],"type":"terms","id":"news","slug":"news","link":"/news","taxonomy":"site"},"perspectives":{"name":"Perspectives","parent":"radio","type":"terms","id":"perspectives","slug":"perspectives","link":"/perspectives","taxonomy":"site"},"podcasts":{"name":"Podcasts","type":"terms","id":"podcasts","slug":"podcasts","link":"/podcasts","taxonomy":"site"},"pop":{"name":"Pop","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"pop","slug":"pop","link":"/pop","taxonomy":"site"},"pressroom":{"name":"Pressroom","type":"terms","id":"pressroom","slug":"pressroom","link":"/pressroom","taxonomy":"site"},"quest":{"name":"Quest","parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"quest","slug":"quest","link":"/quest","taxonomy":"site"},"radio":{"name":"Radio","grouping":["forum","perspectives"],"description":"Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.","type":"terms","id":"radio","slug":"radio","link":"/radio","taxonomy":"site"},"root":{"name":"KQED","image":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","imageWidth":1200,"imageHeight":630,"headData":{"title":"KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California","description":"KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."},"type":"terms","id":"root","slug":"root","link":"/root","taxonomy":"site"},"science":{"name":"Science","grouping":["science","futureofyou"],"description":"KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.","type":"terms","id":"science","slug":"science","link":"/science","taxonomy":"site"},"stateofhealth":{"name":"State of Health","parent":"science","type":"terms","id":"stateofhealth","slug":"stateofhealth","link":"/stateofhealth","taxonomy":"site"},"support":{"name":"Support","type":"terms","id":"support","slug":"support","link":"/support","taxonomy":"site"},"thedolist":{"name":"The Do List","parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"thedolist","slug":"thedolist","link":"/thedolist","taxonomy":"site"},"trulyca":{"name":"Truly CA","grouping":["arts","pop","trulyca"],"parent":"arts","type":"terms","id":"trulyca","slug":"trulyca","link":"/trulyca","taxonomy":"site"},"tv":{"name":"TV","type":"terms","id":"tv","slug":"tv","link":"/tv","taxonomy":"site"},"voterguide":{"name":"Voter Guide","parent":"elections","alias":"elections","type":"terms","id":"voterguide","slug":"voterguide","link":"/voterguide","taxonomy":"site"},"news_5892":{"type":"terms","id":"news_5892","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"5892","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"groundwater","slug":"groundwater","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"groundwater Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null,"imageData":{"ogImageSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png","width":1200,"height":630},"twImageSize":{"file":"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"},"twitterCard":"summary_large_image"}},"ttid":5916,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/groundwater"},"source_news_11940344":{"type":"terms","id":"source_news_11940344","meta":{"override":true},"name":"CalMatters","link":"https://calmatters.org/","isLoading":false},"source_news_11925400":{"type":"terms","id":"source_news_11925400","meta":{"override":true},"name":"News","isLoading":false},"source_news_11886536":{"type":"terms","id":"source_news_11886536","meta":{"override":true},"name":"Bay Curious","link":"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious","isLoading":false},"news_31795":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31795","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31795","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California","slug":"california","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31812,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/california"},"news_19906":{"type":"terms","id":"news_19906","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"19906","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Environment","slug":"environment","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Environment Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":19923,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/environment"},"news_8":{"type":"terms","id":"news_8","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"8","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"News","slug":"news","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"News Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":8,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/news"},"news_356":{"type":"terms","id":"news_356","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"356","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Science","slug":"science","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Science Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":364,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/science"},"news_18538":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18538","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18538","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California","slug":"california","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california"},"news_27626":{"type":"terms","id":"news_27626","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"27626","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"featured-news","slug":"featured-news","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"featured-news Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":27643,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/featured-news"},"news_3187":{"type":"terms","id":"news_3187","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"3187","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"science","slug":"science-2","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"science Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":3205,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/science-2"},"news_483":{"type":"terms","id":"news_483","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"483","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"water","slug":"water-2","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"water Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":492,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/water-2"},"news_18481":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18481","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18481","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"CALmatters","slug":"calmatters","taxonomy":"affiliate","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18515,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/affiliate/calmatters"},"news_4092":{"type":"terms","id":"news_4092","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"4092","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"agriculture","slug":"agriculture-2","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"agriculture Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":4111,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/agriculture-2"},"news_31720":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31720","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31720","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"california agriculture","slug":"california-agriculture","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"california agriculture Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31737,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california-agriculture"},"news_20447":{"type":"terms","id":"news_20447","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"20447","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California water","slug":"california-water","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California water Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":20464,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california-water"},"news_20023":{"type":"terms","id":"news_20023","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"20023","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"environment","slug":"environment","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"environment Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":20040,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/environment"},"news_33452":{"type":"terms","id":"news_33452","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"33452","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"agave","slug":"agave","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"agave Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":33469,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/agave"},"news_17601":{"type":"terms","id":"news_17601","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"17601","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Drought","slug":"drought","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Drought Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":17635,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/drought"},"news_19232":{"type":"terms","id":"news_19232","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"19232","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"drinking water","slug":"drinking-water","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"drinking water Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":19249,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/drinking-water"},"news_32655":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32655","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32655","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Nitrate contamination","slug":"nitrate-contamination","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Nitrate contamination Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32672,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/nitrate-contamination"},"news_32656":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32656","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32656","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"stormwater","slug":"stormwater","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"stormwater Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32673,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/stormwater"},"news_32375":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32375","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32375","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Community Water Center","slug":"community-water-center","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Community Water Center Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32392,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/community-water-center"},"news_32376":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32376","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32376","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"domestic wells","slug":"domestic-wells","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"domestic wells Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32393,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/domestic-wells"},"news_32374":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32374","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32374","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Tulare Irrigation District","slug":"tulare-irrigation-district","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Tulare Irrigation District Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32391,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/tulare-irrigation-district"},"news_32373":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32373","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32373","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"water equity","slug":"water-equity","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"water equity Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32390,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/water-equity"},"news_25028":{"type":"terms","id":"news_25028","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"25028","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"atmospheric rivers","slug":"atmospheric-rivers","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"atmospheric rivers Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":25045,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/atmospheric-rivers"},"news_32292":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32292","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32292","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"drought conditions","slug":"drought-conditions","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"drought conditions Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32309,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/drought-conditions"},"news_32293":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32293","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32293","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"rainwater","slug":"rainwater","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"rainwater Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32310,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/rainwater"},"news_32291":{"type":"terms","id":"news_32291","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"32291","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"water resources","slug":"water-resources","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"water resources Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":32308,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/water-resources"},"news_31622":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31622","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31622","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"#Ducor","slug":"ducor","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"#Ducor Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31639,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/ducor"},"news_31621":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31621","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31621","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"#Visalia","slug":"visalia","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"#Visalia Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31638,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/visalia"},"news_31620":{"type":"terms","id":"news_31620","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"31620","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"#water drilling","slug":"water-drilling","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"#water drilling Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":31637,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/water-drilling"},"news_311":{"type":"terms","id":"news_311","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"311","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Central Valley","slug":"central-valley","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Central Valley Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":319,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/central-valley"},"news_312":{"type":"terms","id":"news_312","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"312","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"San Joaquin Valley","slug":"san-joaquin-valley","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"San Joaquin Valley Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":320,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/san-joaquin-valley"},"news_30015":{"type":"terms","id":"news_30015","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"30015","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"aquifer","slug":"aquifer","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"aquifer Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30032,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/aquifer"},"news_18022":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18022","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18022","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"California Drought","slug":"california-drought","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"California Drought Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18056,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/california-drought"},"news_18163":{"type":"terms","id":"news_18163","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"18163","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Farmers","slug":"farmers","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Farmers Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18197,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/farmers"},"news_21216":{"type":"terms","id":"news_21216","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"21216","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Fresno County","slug":"fresno-county","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Fresno County Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":21233,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/fresno-county"},"news_29996":{"type":"terms","id":"news_29996","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"29996","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"irrigation","slug":"irrigation","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"irrigation Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30013,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/irrigation"},"news_30016":{"type":"terms","id":"news_30016","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"30016","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Riverdale","slug":"riverdale","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Riverdale Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30033,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/riverdale"},"news_30018":{"type":"terms","id":"news_30018","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"30018","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"SGMA","slug":"sgma","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"SGMA Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30035,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/sgma"},"news_30017":{"type":"terms","id":"news_30017","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"30017","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Sustainable Groundwater Management Act","slug":"sustainable-groundwater-management-act","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":30034,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/sustainable-groundwater-management-act"},"news_6442":{"type":"terms","id":"news_6442","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"6442","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"water conservation","slug":"water-conservation","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"water conservation Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":6466,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/water-conservation"},"news_33523":{"type":"terms","id":"news_33523","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"33523","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Bay Curious","slug":"bay-curious","taxonomy":"program","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Bay Curious Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":33540,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/program/bay-curious"},"news_17986":{"type":"terms","id":"news_17986","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"17986","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Bay Curious","slug":"baycurious","taxonomy":"series","description":"\u003ch2>A podcast exploring the Bay Area one question at a time\u003c/h2>\r\n\r\n\u003caside>\r\n\u003cdiv style=\"width: 100%; padding-right: 20px;\">\r\n\r\nKQED’s \u003cstrong>Bay Curious\u003c/strong> gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.\r\n\u003cbr />\r\n\u003cspan class=\"alignleft\">\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1172473406\">\u003cimg width=\"75px\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/DownloadOniTunes_100x100.png\">\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://goo.gl/app/playmusic?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&isi=691797987&ius=googleplaymusic&link=https://play.google.com/music/m/Ipi2mc5aqfen4nr2daayiziiyuy?t%3DBay_Curious\">\u003cimg width=\"75px\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/Google_Play_100x100.png\">\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003c/div>\r\n\u003c/aside> \r\n\u003ch2>What's your question?\u003c/h2>\r\n\u003cdiv id=\"huxq6\" class=\"curiosity-module\" data-pym-src=\"//modules.wearehearken.com/kqed/curiosity_modules/133\">\u003c/div>\r\n\u003cscript src=\"//assets.wearehearken.com/production/thirdparty/p.m.js\">\u003c/script>\r\n\u003ch2>Bay Curious monthly newsletter\u003c/h2>\r\nWe're launching it soon! \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEtzbyNbSQkRHCCAkKhoGiAl3Bd0zWxhk0ZseJ1KH_o_ZDjQ/viewform\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up\u003c/a> so you don't miss it when it drops.\r\n","featImg":"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/BayCuriousLogoFinal01-e1493662037229.png","headData":{"title":"Bay Curious Archives | KQED News","description":"A podcast exploring the Bay Area one question at a time KQED’s Bay Curious gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers. What's your question? Bay Curious monthly newsletter We're launching it soon! Sign up so you don't miss it when it drops.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":18020,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/series/baycurious"},"news_33520":{"type":"terms","id":"news_33520","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"33520","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"Podcast","slug":"podcast","taxonomy":"category","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"Podcast Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":33537,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/category/podcast"},"news_28199":{"type":"terms","id":"news_28199","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"28199","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"featured-science","slug":"featured-science","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"featured-science Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":28216,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/featured-science"},"news_464":{"type":"terms","id":"news_464","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"464","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"reservoirs","slug":"reservoirs","taxonomy":"tag","description":null,"featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"reservoirs Archives | KQED News","description":null,"ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":473,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/reservoirs"},"news_6739":{"type":"terms","id":"news_6739","meta":{"index":"terms_1591234321","site":"news","id":"6739","found":true},"relationships":{},"included":{},"name":"State of Drought","slug":"state-of-drought","taxonomy":"tag","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\">California is in drought. Again. And the infrastructure used to sustain the state’s 40 million residents — and its $50 billion agriculture industry — hasn’t kept up with new climate patterns. Join the Bay Curious podcast as we explore new ways of thinking about water management and the future of our state.\u003c/p>","featImg":null,"headData":{"title":"State of Drought Archives | KQED News","description":"California is in drought. Again. And the infrastructure used to sustain the state’s 40 million residents — and its $50 billion agriculture industry — hasn’t kept up with new climate patterns. Join the Bay Curious podcast as we explore new ways of thinking about water management and the future of our state.","ogTitle":null,"ogDescription":null,"ogImgId":null,"twTitle":null,"twDescription":null,"twImgId":null},"ttid":6763,"isLoading":false,"link":"/news/tag/state-of-drought"}},"userAgentReducer":{"userAgent":"claudebot","isBot":true},"userPermissionsReducer":{"wpLoggedIn":false},"localStorageReducer":{},"browserHistoryReducer":[],"eventsReducer":{},"fssReducer":{},"tvDailyScheduleReducer":{},"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer":{},"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer":{},"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer":{},"userAccountReducer":{"routeTo":"","showDeleteConfirmModal":false,"user":{"userId":"","isFound":false,"firstName":"","lastName":"","phoneNumber":"","email":"","articles":[]}},"youthMediaReducer":{},"checkPleaseReducer":{"filterData":{},"restaurantData":[]},"location":{"pathname":"/news/tag/groundwater","previousPathname":"/"}}
