Monday Top of the Scroll: State orders 4,500 cities, farms to stop drawing river water, including San Francisco
California regulators began cracking down on water use in the sprawling Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds on Friday, ordering 4,500 farmers, water districts and other landowners, including the city of San Francisco, to stop drawing water in the basins — or face penalties of up to $10,000 a day. The move comes as the state slides deeper into an extraordinary two-year drought. Lakes, streams and rivers no longer have enough water for everyone who is taking it, and dwindling supplies must be rationed, state regulators say.
Related articles:
- Courthouse News Service: California water regulators block thousands of farmers from accessing state’s largest watershed
- State Water Resources Control Board: News release: Low water levels trigger curtailments for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
- Buchalter: Emergency Regulations Allow Curtailments in the Delta Watershed