It’s a bird, it’s a plane … no it’s a giant electromagnet that dwarfs the helicopter that it hangs from. The enormous hoop, flying about 200 feet off the ground, that looks like a something out of a fantasy or sci-fi movie, will actually help California during the next drought. The huge magnet can “see” 1,500 feet through the ground similar to a superhero. … Below the surface are huge, natural underwater reservoirs and rivers called aquifers. The groundwater in aquifers feed wells and springs used for drinking water and irrigation. According to one scientist who studies groundwater, underground water storage is three times greater than current reservoir storage in the state. Groundwater supplies the state with 40% of water in non-drought years and 60% of water to farms and cities during drought.

Related articles: 

• Western Water Rewind: High-tech mapping of Central Valley’s underground blazes path to drought resilience
• Milk Producers Council: The Path Forward for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act