Leah Millis

California Drought

As California entered into the fourth year of the worst drought in 1,200 years, people from across the state felt the extreme effects. Farmers in the Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural regions, fallowed fields and pulled up trees in an attempt to conserve enough water to save their businesses. Migrant workers, who depend on the massive agricultural system, were finding themselves out of work. Across the state, lakes dried up and reservoir water levels hovered at historic lows. Species of fish that depend on the ever-shrinking rivers for survival, such as the delta smelt, flirted with extinction. By late fall 2014, communities as close as an hour from San Francisco were finding dried up wells, leaving them with no water on their land. In April of 2015, the Governor declared the first ever mandatory statewide reductions.  

  • Humberto Hernandez uses an excavator to place a dead almond tree into a wood chipper as the sun rises March 14, 2014 on a former block of almond trees on the land of Baker Farming in Firebaugh, Calif. Barry Baker decided late last year to pull up 1,000 acres of his almond trees to save water during the drought.
  • A firefighter works to put out a large brush fire July 24, 2014 that sprang up outside of Merced, Calif.
  • The sun rises over the exposed lake walls leading to an abandoned house boat dock at the bottom of Lake McClure, as it sits at about 8 percent capacity Sept 29, 2014 in Snelling, Calif.
  • Louis Mendoza, left, and Will Martinez, right, collect and box broccoli as it gets tossed to them from workers, from left of Mendoza, Jose Santo, Nelson Villanueva, Miguel Hernandez, Louis Cornejo, Jose Francisco Cornejo and Jairo Alvarado while they harvest from a block on Pappas & Co farm April 18, 2014 in Mendota, Calif. The historic drought combined with zero percent water allocation for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley means that many farmers are fallowing fields and many field workers are unemployed. In Mendota, a rural city of about 11,000 people about 35 miles west of Fresno, the jobless rate is 36 percent.
  • Teichert construction worker Jack Walker finishes up after cutting into a live water line of a home in order to install a water meter April 3, 2015 in Sacramento, Calif. Sacramento is in the process of installing water meters throughout the entire city, having already installed over 69,000 meters, the goal is to install 15,000 more by 2016.
  • Dennis Baker, 53, hangs out with his granddaughter Kaylie Baker, 6, before a delayed Father's Day dinner for him June 23, 2015 at his home, situated on his farmland in Tracy, Calif. Baker, who farms 40 acres of hay, became concerned for his crop after a hearing at the San Joaquin County Superior court between the State Water Board and his water district (the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District) was held to decide whether it is legal for the state to stop water diversions to senior water rights holders like him. If the water stopped flowing to his land, he was worried about losing his crop, or more importantly, losing his “permanent pasture” which has been reseeding itself for 50 years.
  • A longtime resident of Truckee tends a small permitted burn used for clearing dead branches, pine needles, pine cones and other debris that could cause a fire to proactively protect his land as the fire season approaches March 27, 2015 in Truckee, Calif. Pine trees across the state have been dying off by the thousands due to pine beetles that take advantage of their drought-stressed bodies. The small groupings and vast swaths of dead trees create an especially dangerous fire hazard in already parched conditions. The worst-hit area is in Southern California but the beetles and subsequent pine tree deaths are creeping North, with experts warning that the situation is on track to worsen.
  • The moon rises over an island that has emerged as the water recedes at the Camanche Reservoir April 3, 2015 in Ione, Calif. The reservoir, which is part of the East Bay Municipal Utility District, is currently at about 25 percent of its capacity.
  • A young woman leads a child through an empty parking lot off of 7th Street, the main street, April 11, 2014 in Mendota, Calif. The historic drought combined with zero percent water allocation for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley means that many farmers are fallowing fields and many field workers are unemployed. In Mendota, a rural city of about 11,000 people about 35 miles west of Fresno, the jobless rate was at 36 percent in April 2014.
  • Field worker Francisco Velasquez, 54, pictured April 11, 2014 in Mendota Calif. Velasquez has lived in the U.S. for 20 years and though he has been able to find occasional work, he says there's a lot less work this year than there has been in previous years. He used to send $100 back to his family, now he can only send $50 a month. The historic drought combined with zero percent water allocation for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley means that many farmers are fallowing fields and many field workers are unemployed. In Mendota, a rural city of about 11,000 people about 35 miles west of Fresno, the jobless rate was at 36 percent in April 2014.
  • Unemployed field worker Maria Fajardo, 51, pictured outside of her apartment complex April 14, 2014 in Mendota, Calif. Fajardo moved to Mendota from Mexico eight years ago and has been having trouble finding work this year. The historic drought combined with zero percent water allocation for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley means that many farmers are fallowing fields and many field workers are unemployed. In Mendota, a rural city of about 11,000 people about 35 miles west of Fresno, the jobless rate was at 36 percent in April 2014.
  • Erica Chavez sorts oranges in the Sun Pacific Farming and Shippers packing facility Feb. 14, 2015 in Exeter, Calif. As California enters into the fourth year of drought and farmers lose orchards and fallow fields, migrant worker jobs are becoming more scarce.
  • A dead and sun-burned orange hangs from a tree June 7, 2015 in a dried up orchard that was let go by farmers to save water in Lindsay, Calif.
  • Mayor Robert Silva listens to questions after presenting about the impact of the drought on Mendota to a group of people with Future Advocates for Agriculture Concerned about Tomorrow April 14, 2014 in City Hall in Mendota, Calif. In Mendota, a rural city of about 11,000 people that is home to many migrant workers, the jobless rate was at 36 percent in April 2014.
  • A dust devil makes its way across hot land made white from dried minerals as a result of the natural lake-bottom buildup and evaporation process April 10, 2015 near Kings County, Calif. The land is situated in part of the San Joaquin Valley that used to contain the Tulare Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the western half of the continental United States. The lake was dried up by the year 1900 due to emerging agriculture in the region.
  • Farmer Glenn Roberston listens to arguments during a hearing between the State Water Board and the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District June 23, 2015 in Stockton, Calif. The hearing was expected to determine whether the state water board can legally stop diversions in the water district, which would threaten the water supply of hundreds of farmers.
  • Joseph Miller, 7, builds a sand castle on an island that has emerged as the water recedes at the Camanche Reservoir April 3, 2015 in Ione, Calif. Miller was visiting the spot with family members and his great uncle Chris Wheeler, who moved here almost two years ago and has watched the water level drop. {quote}I just don't want to see it dry up,{quote} he said. The reservoir, which is part of the East Bay Municipal Utility District, is currently at about 25 percent of its capacity.
  • Cal Fire firefighters from Amador, Andrew Paik, left, Alex Salazar and Munir Massoud take a break after a full shift of fighting the Rocky Fire as it burns off of highway 20 behind them and in front of them August 3, 2015 in Lake County, Calif.
  • Both unemployed, Jose Pineda Rivas, 61, center, stands in the kitchen with his wife, Maria Callejas, 43, right, as Ruth Fuentes, 32, left, helps her son Jose, 6, with his homework at Fuentes' home April 10, 2014 in Mendota, Calif. Rivas and his wife have been living with the Fuentes' family for four years. Rivas came to the United States in 1988 and was joined by his wife 3 years ago. They left five children behind in El Salvador, who they send money to every month. Both Rivas and his wife work in the fields for their income. Right now neither of them have been able to find steady work and the stress is taking its toll. Rivas has been having trouble sleeping and eating due to a constantly upset stomach and a toothache he cannot afford to repair.
  • Hundreds of White-faced Ibis take off at dawn from a pond created from pumped ground water at Merced National Wildlife Refuge April 16, 2015 in Merced, Calif. The refuge is a restored wildlife area that reflects the habitat that used to be found in the Central Valley before agriculture took over the region. The small pond provides much-needed breeding and wintering habitat for thousands of birds. Because of the drought, the refuge received no surface water allocation and were forced to pump groundwater to keep up the wetlands and the crops they grow for habitat.
  • Doniga Markegard, 33, cleans a cow's udder thoroughly during the morning milking of her few dairy cows for a small raw milk business she runs Nov. 4, 2014 on her leased land in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The Markegards started their grass-fed business nine years ago on 1,000 acres of land they’ve leased for years in Half Moon Bay. As the drought worsened this year, they saw their 16 water sources shrink to just one. They’ve had to move their 4-500 head of cattle to land leased off the property because all of the water sources on their land have dried up, including the spring that used to provide water for their home. Now they have to haul in water for their family once about every three weeks. “We watch every drop,” said Doniga about their water conservation. If the drought does not let up, the couple will be forced to sell the herd they’ve been building for 10 years.
  • Evening falls over a gnarled tree and a small home April 13, 2015 near Tulare, Calif.
  • Salvador Aispuro throws leftover almond branches onto the back of a trailer driven by Indalecio Mendoza as they clear a field March 14, 2014 on a former block of almond trees on the land of Baker Farming in Firebaugh, Calif.
  • Deep scars from Guillermo's yearslong struggle with Valley Fever can be seen on his back where the disease tried to kill him from inside of his spine as he takes a shower with a temporary, battery powered shower head in his home in Fresno. The poor air quality and increase of dust and air particles has caused an increase in diseases such as Valley Fever. Guillermo purchased the shower head pump to make taking showers with buckets of water easier for him and his mother since their well went dry.
  • Water slides that are used as part of a local business that runs completely off of recycled water May-Sept. can be seen dry during the off season April 9, 2015 in Tulare, Calif.
  • Baker pauses in the heat after loading an order of hay onto a customer's trailer at his home. Though he has senior water rights, Baker had his water turned off after the California State Resources Control Board ordered Banta-Carbona Irrigation District to stop pumping water.
  • Chinook salmon smolts tumble into net pens for acclimation and transportation in the Sacramento River after getting transported via truck from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery as part of the second year of a special contingency plan to keep the salmon alive from around the Central Valley through the drought March 26, 2015 in Rio Vista, Calif. On Wednesday, the trucking began, kicking off a two-month effort that will eventually transport 12 million Chinook salmon via trucks down river to ensure their migration into the ocean despite dropping water levels due to the drought.
  • From left, Markegard siblings Quill, 6, Quince, 4, and Larry, 7, take their weekly bath together to save water in their family home Nov. 4, 2014 in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The Markegards started their grass-fed business nine years ago on 1,000 acres of land they’ve leased for years in Half Moon Bay. As the drought worsened this year, they saw their 16 water sources shrink to just one. They’ve had to move their 4-500 head of cattle to land leased off the property because all of the water sources on their land have dried up, including the spring that used to provide water for their home. Now they have to haul in water for their family once about every three weeks. “We watch every drop,” said Doniga about their water conservation.
  • House boats sit idle in the low water of Lake Oroville Nov. 29, 2014 in Oroville, Calif. Despite recent rainfall, California's second largest reservoir is near the 1977 historic low at 26 percent of capacity. {quote}This has been quite the progression,{quote} said longtime resident Sharon Smith, who has been walking the dam since she moved to the area in 1997. {quote}It seems like it's happening so fast,{quote} she said.
  • Abraham Tamayo, 12, gets his hair cut by Moises Tamayo, 20, outside of an apartment complex April 14, 2012 on the edge of town in Mendota, Calif.
  • Esteban de Santiago harvests oranges in a Washington Navel orange orchard Feb. 14, 2015 in Exeter, Calif. As California enters into the fourth year of drought and farmers lose orchards and fallow fields, migrant worker jobs are becoming more scarce.
  • An American flag lays perfectly flat on the freshly exposed bottom of Lake McClure as it sits at about 8 percent capacity Sept 28, 2014 in Snelling, Calif.
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