Environment Land of Thirst: A Drought Podcast Published on December 17, 2014 By Leighton Woodhouse Share … California is in the midst of what is arguably the worst drought in its recorded history. Powered by Cincopa Video Hosting for Business solution.California’s Megadrought in the Central ValleyPictures of land and people in California’s Central Valley impacted by the state’s historic drought.Dead orchards are bulldozed and woodchipped to make into compost.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 10/28/2014 5:34:26 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IICitrus grower Bryan Hixson alongside the Friant-Kern Canalflash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 10/28/2014 12:23:12 AMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIAlmond husks. Almonds are highly water-intensive, but growers are holding onto their almond fields and even switching over to the crop because it yields among the highest profit margins.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 10/28/2014 7:10:32 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIBoth the high-speed rail and the effort to restore the San Joaquin salmon run are political third rails in the Central Valley.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 11/6/2014 12:00:38 AMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IICitrus grower Gus Carranza in his fieldsflash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 10/27/2014 8:13:52 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IICalifornia’s Proposition 1 was an emergency measure to mitigate the drought situation, but its effects will not be felt for many years.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 11/5/2014 5:06:00 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIMigrant farm laborerflash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 11/5/2014 6:00:42 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIDebris from a bulldozed orchard is collected for woodchipping.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 10/28/2014 5:17:55 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIWater in California is so scarce that at the beginning of the year, the state announced a “zero allocation” of surface water for the water agencies that serve both growers and residential consumers.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 11/5/2014 4:39:08 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIA study in contrastsflash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 11/6/2014 1:19:37 AMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIDespite the parched landscape, not all Central Valley residents are prepared to abandon their verdant lawns.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 11/5/2014 5:45:54 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IISome growers have the resources to hold onto their ranches for another year. Others have already folded.flash 16cameramake Canonheight 600orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CC 2originaldate 10/27/2014 6:16:42 PMwidth 900cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IIᐧ All photos by Elizabeth Fladung Related Topics:California drought Continue Reading Top Stories Latest NewsSeptember 8, 2025 MAHA Promised Healthier Kids. But School Lunches May Deliver Less. Worked OverAugust 25, 2025 Forest Service Cuts Leave Firefighters Mowing Lawns While Morale Craters Worked OverAugust 25, 2025 Trump’s Policies Are Adding Up to a Hostile Work Environment Column - State of InequalityAugust 29, 2025 Unions Are Shrinking Nationwide — But Not in California Worked OverAugust 26, 2025 ICE Raids Push Workers Into the Shadows, Disrupting the Economy Latest NewsAugust 26, 2025 Trump Bond Rule Leaves More People Stuck in Immigration Custody Indefinitely Striking BackAugust 27, 2025 ‘I’m Tired of Looking Over My Shoulder’ Worked OverAugust 28, 2025 A Heavier Case Load, Diminished Care