Climate Adaptation
California’s Dry Season Is Turning Into a Permanent State of Being
Three forces linked by climate change are driving the region into a drought era
Water levels at Lake Oroville in California could drop so low this summer that the Edward Hyatt hydroelectric power plant could shut down for the first time since being built in 1967.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Drought across the Western U.S. has forced California to ration water to farms. Hydroelectric dams barely work. The smallest spark — from a lawnmower or even a flat tire — can explode into a wildfire.
While this region has always had dry summers, they’re supposed to follow a pattern that leads to relief with the arrival of the annual rainy season in November. But a break is no longer guaranteed.