San Joaquin County Local News: Water


All Local Water News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis

Almost one million California residents are forced to drink from contaminated water supplies, or pay for bottled water. Economic inequality makes the crisis worse. What is the state doing to fix it?

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

California Local Pin Marker From LodiNews...

07/17/2024
Swimming is allowed again at Lodi Lake following closure due to bacteria alert.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/16/2024
A Kings County judge today issued a temporary restraining order against the state that pauses its unprecedented move to crack down on groundwater depletion in California’s agricultural heartland.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/10/2024
Harnessing clean energy is a venture of unprecedented scope in California, bringing big changes to Humboldt and the Central Coast, and requiring 26 ports along the coast.

Local News Matters Stockton logo From Local News Matters Stockton...

07/07/2024
Image for display with article titled Lodi Lake Safety Hazard: Swimming a No-Go After Test Reveals Harmful Bacteria in Water

Health officials announced a temporary ban on swimming at Lodi Lake after tests Wednesday showed unsafe levels of bacteria, the Lodi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department said.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/03/2024
The measures are substantially weaker than a previous proposal after an onslaught of criticism. But they will still save enough water through 2050 to supply the state’s entire population for a year, at a cost of $4.7 billion.

Local News Matters Stockton logo From Local News Matters Stockton...

06/28/2024
Image for display with article titled Pollution Response to Sunken Vessel Aurora in Delta Waterway Completed, Officials Say

Contractors removed thousands of gallons of oil and hazardous waste from a decommissioned cruise ship that sank and began leaking fuel in the Delta waterway in San Joaquin County last month. 

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/25/2024
Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

California Local Pin Marker From Manteca Bulletin...

06/21/2024
In the June 18 meeting of the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, an unofficial count of mail-in ballots from stakeholder property owners indicate passage of an increase in property tax to fund levee repairs and upgrades. The count will be verified and certified in July.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/18/2024
A new round of litigation began when environmental groups opposed to the Sites reservoir in Colusa County filed an appeal on a ruling which dismissed their suit seeking to halt the project from proceeding.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/17/2024
Legal rights to use water — particularly those obtained prior to 1914 — lie at the heart of California’s perpetual wrangling over the allocation of increasingly limited water supplies.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/12/2024
Aiming to store more water and protect the public, legislators are negotiating with the governor to restore $50 million to help repair 42 aging dams throughout the state.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/05/2024
The $4.5 billion Sites Reservoir project is advancing after a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/05/2024
A new study, conducted by researchers at three University of California campuses, projects that a combination of factors will reduce California’s water supply by up to 9 million acre-feet a year.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

06/01/2024
Cal State Fullerton researchers released findings of ancient floods in Southern California which indicate the state may be more prone to mega flooding than previously thought.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/30/2024
Researchers say if California could collect and treat more stormwater in cities, it could provide enough water to supply a quarter of the state’s urban population.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/23/2024
It’s been almost a half-century since I first heard the term “peripheral canal” uttered by William Gianelli, who was then-Gov. Ronald Reagan’s top water official. The project, in one form or another, had already been kicking around for decades.

Local News Matters Stockton logo From Local News Matters Stockton...

05/22/2024
Image for display with article titled Unified Command Response Issued for 1950s-Era Vessel Leaking Fuel, Oil in Delta Waterway

Authorities in San Joaquin County have stepped up response to a boat leaking fuel into a Delta waterway on Wednesday. 

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/16/2024
The centerpiece of California’s water wars pits Gov. Newsom against local communities and environmentalists. A new report says the benefits of the tunnel exceed the cost since other water supplies would cost more.

California Local Pin Marker From Manteca Bulletin...

05/08/2024
Monthly water use in Manteca is almost 90 million gallons less than in 2013, despite a population growth of 17,000 since.

Local News Matters Stockton logo From Local News Matters Stockton...

04/24/2024
Image for display with article titled Stockton Landfill Operator Alleges Inmates of Prison Hospital Exposed to Hazardous Water

A federal lawsuit filed by a corporate landfill operator just outside of Stockton alleges that inmates at a nearby prison hospital known as the California Health Care Facility are drinking well water that may be contaminated by toxic chemicals.

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