Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
California's water supply faces a big drop because of climate change, state forecast finds
An aerial view of high water conditions at the West Branch Feather River Bridge at Lake Oroville in 2019, when the reservoir was at 97% capacity.
(
Florence Low
/
California Department of Water Resources
)
Topline:
The amount of water California can provide is projected to drop over the next twenty years due to climate change, according to a report from the California Department of Water Resources.
What does the report look at? The report evaluates the State Water Project, a water storage and delivery system that sprawls more than 700 miles and provides water to 27 million Californians.
It found that under current conditions, the project's "delivery capability and reliability" could be reduced between 13% and 23% over the next two decades.
Support for LAist comes from
Why is this happening: The State Water Project's deputy director John Yarbrough said that's because intensified storms and droughts caused by climate change put a strain on the system — and that California needs to invest in adapting.
"[We] really need to look at, how can we adapt our infrastructure so that we're ready for the climate of the next hundred years?"
What's being done: Yarbrough referenced projects like a plan to build a tunnel to move water under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as ways California is trying to adapt.
Read the report: It's a breezy 91 pages.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist