For as long as there have been people in what is now California, the granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada have held masses of ice, according to new research that shows the glaciers have probably existed since the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago. The remnants of these glaciers, which have already shrunk dramatically since the late 1800s, are retreating year after year, and are projected to melt completely this century as global temperatures continue to rise. … This water from glaciers serves as a “stabilizing force” that can sustain mountain streams through droughts. … [T]his water eventually will go away as the glaciers continue to retreat.

Related articles:

• San Francisco Chronicle: A surprising new fact just emerged about California’s glaciers
• KQED (San Francisco): California’s ancient glaciers are melting away for the first time in human history
• Courthouse News Service: Sierra Nevada’s glaciers will soon be gone
• Live Science: Yosemite’s glaciers have survived 20,000 years — but we could be the first people to see Sierra Nevada ice-free