Drought ravages California's reservoirs ahead of hot summer

Photos: Drought ravages California’s reservoirs ahead of hot summer

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Each year Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nation’s crops, sustain endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchor the tourism economy of a Northern California county that must rebuild seemingly every year after unrelenting wildfires.But now the mighty lake — a linchpin in a system of aqueducts and reservoirs in the arid U.S. West that makes California possible — is shrinking with surprising speed a…

California’s Epic Drought Is Parching Reservoirs and Worrying Farmers

The state is facing one of its driest summers ever, portending another catastrophic fire season.

‘Feels like our planet is literally drying up’: Drought ravages Northern California’s reservoirs ahead of hot summer

By ADAM BEAM | The Associated PressOROVILLE  — Each year Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nation’s crops, sustain endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchor the tourism economy of a Northern California county that must rebuild seemingly every year after unrelenting wildfires.But now the mighty lake — a linchpin in a system of aqueducts and reservoirs in the arid U.S. West that makes California possible — is shrinking …

Drought: California's more than 1,500 reservoirs are 50% lower than normal ahead of hot summer

While droughts are common in California, this year's is much hotter and drier than others, evaporating water more quickly from the reservoirs and the sparse Sierra Nevada snowpack that feeds them.

Drought ravages California's reservoirs ahead of hot summer

Drought ravages California's reservoirs ahead of hot summer

Drought ravages California's reservoirs

Each year Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nation’s crops, sustain endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchor the tourism economy of a Northern California county that must rebuild seemingly every year after unrelenting wildfires.But now the mighty lake — a linchpin in a system of aqueducts and reservoirs in the arid U.S. West that makes California possible — is shrinking with surprising speed amid a severe drought, wi…