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One Planet: California's ongoing drought & new water restrictions

Extreme drought conditions in California have state officials looking for alternative sources of water, including desalinated ocean water.
Richard Vogel
/
AP
Extreme drought conditions in California have state officials looking for alternative sources of water, including desalinated ocean water.

On this edition of Your Call's One Planet series, we're discussing the West's water crisis. Maps from the US Drought Monitor show nearly all of the West is experiencing a drought, and 95 percent of California is suffering severe or extreme drought.

Californians emerged from the driest January, February and March on record with the biggest jump in water use since the drought began: a nearly 19 percent increase in March compared to two years earlier.

Starting in June, about six million people in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties will be required to dramatically reduce outdoor water use. Environmental advocates from organizations like Food & Water Watch say California Governor Gavin Newsom should prioritize equity in water distribution by also focusing on the agriculture industry, which accounts for roughly 40 percent of the total water used in the state.

Guest:

Rachel Becker, environment reporter for CalMatters

Web Resources:

CalMatters: How bad is water use in California? March is the worst so far, up 19%

CNN: California is in a water crisis, yet usage is way up. Officials are focused on the wrong problem, advocates say

Food & Water Watch: New Analysis Details Immense Scale of Corporate Water Abuses in California

Malihe Razazan is the senior producer of KALW's daily call-in program, Your Call.
Rose Aguilar has been the host of Your Call since 2006. She became a regular media roundtable guest in 2001. In 2019, the San Francisco Press Club named Your Call the best public affairs program. In 2017, The Nation named it the most valuable local radio show.