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How a federal drought relief program left southern Oregon parched—and contributed to the ongoing groundwater crisis in the West

An irrigation ditch in the Klamath Project.
Kimberley Hasselbrink contributed photography for this piece. An irrigation ditch in the Klamath Project.

For two decades, the Bureau of Reclamation incentivized farmers to pump water faster than the resource could recover, despite warnings from its own scientists. This year, residents of Klamath County paid the price, as hundreds of household wells went dry.

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Where is the water going?

Kings River in California’s San Joaquin Valley
As a result of the 2021 drought, there is very little water in the Kings River in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The water that is available is used on crops.

Small farmers struggle as ag titans wheel water for profit

La ciudad de California que está hundiéndose

The Cross Creek Levee in Corcoran, CA
The Cross Creek Levee in Corcoran, CA was rebuilt in 2017 after having sunk seven feet since 1983. The levee is now at least twice the size of the previous one and protects the town from flood water coming from the south and west.

El terreno sobre el que se construyó Corcoran se ha derrumbado lenta pero constantemente, una situación causada principalmente por la agricultura y no por la naturaleza.

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The Gambia’s Water Paradox

Ya Nima Jaiteh, 14, washes her face at a tap in her family's compound.
Bakau - Ya Nima Jaiteh, 14, washes her face at a tap in her family's compound. Despite having access to plenty of natural fresh water, an investigation has revealed extensive contamination through the nation’s formal and informal water supply systems.

How a country with plentiful water resources is failing to provide safe water to its people

Innovative partnerships and exchanges are securing the Gila River Indian Community’s water future

Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, leader of the Gila River Indian Community, stands in the dry bed of the Gila River, outside of Sacaton, Arizona.
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, leader of the Gila River Indian Community, stands in the dry bed of the Gila River, outside of Sacaton, Arizona. Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

The Gila River Indian Community is restoring its “lifeblood” back through innovative partnerships and water exchanges.

Navajo-Gallup water delay spurs problem solving in arid Southwest

Three new water tanks holding 5.7 million gallons sit on a bluff north of town.
Three new water tanks holding 5.7 million gallons sit on a bluff north of town. San Juan river water will flow into these tanks, and from there will be largely gravity fed through the new water system in Gallup. Image: Marjorie Childress

Navajo-Gallup water delay spurs problem solving in arid Southwest May 7, 2021 By Elizabeth MillerNew Mexico In Depth Three new water tanks holding 5.7 million gallons sit on a bluff north of town. San Juan river water will flow into these tanks, and from there will be largely gravity fed through the new water system […]

Cheese in the desert: Why mega-dairies are piping water onto Oregon’s shrub-steppe

Aerial view of Meenderinck Dairy
Despite being home to four of Oregon’s seven Critical Groundwater Areas, the Lower Umatilla Basin has become a magnet for mega-dairies such as Meenderinck Dairy, which began operations here in 2012. Critics contend mega-dairies are attracted to Oregon’s lax regulations compared with neighboring states. Oregon doesn’t regulate air pollution from dairies, for example, even though dairy emissions contribute to climate change and exacerbate haze in the nearby Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Photo by NASHCO

An environmental coalition is lobbying for a moratorium on mega-dairies, which have proliferated in a water-challenged area of northeastern Oregon

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South Africa’s rivers of sewage: More than half of SA’s treatment works are failing

  • Post author By Steve Kretzmann, Nompumelelo Mtsweni, Peter Luhanga, Nombulelo Damba
  • Media Outlet Daily Maverick
  • Post date April 26, 2021

Some rural California residents doubt they’ll ever get clean water

A street in the Kern County community of El Adobe, California.
A street in the Kern County community of El Adobe, California.

The tiny town of El Adobe exemplifies the state’s struggles with contaminated water and aging infrastructure.

Toxic Cyanobacteria Choke Water Systems Around California’s Clear Lake

Cyanobacteria blooms on Clear Lake in June 2020 resembled whorls of green and white paint.
Cyanobacteria blooms on Clear Lake in June 2020 resembled whorls of green and white paint. Photo courtesy of Micah Swann

Toxic blooms are a public health risk and increase water treatment costs.

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