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 The SlickApril 20, 2026 As Prices Climb, California Imports More Gasoline Made From Russian Oil Latest NewsApril 21, 2026 Federal Job Cuts Hit Black Women Hard — A Year Later, Unemployment Is Up Latest NewsApril 17, 2026 What Could a Republican Governor Get Done in Deep-Blue California? Featured VideoApril 15, 2026 Teaching LGBTQ+ History in Trump’s America The SlickApril 22, 2026 Texas’ Gulf Coast Has a Health Problem: Benzene Emissions Are Among the Highest in the Nation Column - State of InequalityApril 16, 2026 Hot Union Spring at LAUSD Latest NewsApril 28, 2026 A May Day Push to ‘Shut It Down’ Takes Shape Across the Country Latest NewsApril 24, 2026 A Grieving Afghan Man Says He Tried to Get Medical Care for His Brother Who Died in ICE Custody