Map of the United States showing intensity of drought
California, on the west coast, shows intensities D3 & D4

According to data released on September 4, 2014, by the U.S. Drought Monitor, California, with an estimated population of over 38.3 million, leads the nation with 82 percent of the state facing extreme to exceptional drought. Water scarcity is dire in the Central Valley where half of America’s fruits and vegetables are grown.

On January 17, 2014, California’s State Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought State of Emergency. He called on all state officials to take every action necessary to prepare for water shortages. (Learn more at California Drought.) Continue reading →