California

"After a historically dry winter, some growers are farming less land, switching crops, and trucking in water, or taking the season off entirely."

"A proposal to bring down four hydroelectric dams near the California-Oregon border cleared a major regulatory hurdle Thursday, setting the stage for the largest dam demolition project in U.S. history to save imperiled migratory salmon."

"When a female adult sea lion came ashore in San Luis Obispo County in central California recently, responders immediately knew something wasn't right."

"At the start of wildfire season, California’s insurance regulator has backed sweeping changes to discourage home building in fire-prone areas, including looking at cutting off new construction in those regions from what is often their only source of insurance — the state’s high-risk pool."

"Citrus greening disease hasn’t officially hit the state yet, but farmers may be required to cut back on the use of neonicotinoids, the main tool used to control the pest that carries it, because of its impact on pollinators."

"As the extreme drought causes various agencies to squabble over dwindling water supplies, conservationists say the state is still not doing enough to prevent an endangered run of salmon from dying in the Sacramento River."

"A California environmental group threatened to sue Montrose Chemical Corp. and Bayer Corp., alleging they’re liable for the dumping of millions of gallons of the pesticide DDT off the waters of Los Angeles that poisoned wildlife."

"Southern California’s biggest water supplier has chosen a new general manager — but the selection isn’t yet final, and the fiercely contested vote is exposing deep disagreements within the powerful agency as a severe drought grips the region.

The Metropolitan Water District’s board of directors voted this month to select Adel Hagekhalil to lead the agency, The Times has learned, replacing longtime head honcho Jeff Kightlinger, who is retiring. Hagekhalil runs L.A.'s Bureau of Street Services and was previously second-in-command at the city’s sanitation department.

"The Biden administration and Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced a joint effort to bring offshore wind energy to the Pacific Ocean along the California coast."

"A state appeals court has upheld California’s cleanup standards for a cancer-causing chemical that was added to pesticides and has polluted groundwater in the Central Valley, rejecting challenges by manufacturers that may have to pay the costs."