California wells run dry as record drought deepens

Name: California wells run dry as record drought deepens
Uploaded: 04 Oct 2022, 05:27:29 PM
Duration: 02:49
Channel: TIMESOFINDIA.COM

1 views | Oct 04, 2022, 05:27:29 PM | AP

As California's deepening drought, more rural communities are losing access to groundwater as heavy pumping depletes underground aquifers that aren't being replenished by rain and snow.More than 1,200 wells have run dry in California this year, a 57% increase over the same period last year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. By contrast, fewer than 100 dry wells were reported annually in 2018, 2019 and 2020.The groundwater crisis is most severe in the San Joaquin Valley, California's agricultural heartland, which exports fruits, vegetables and nuts around the world.Shrinking groundwater supplies reflect the severity of California's drought, which is now entering its fourth year. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 94% of the state is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought.