In Dry California, Salty Water Creeps Into Key Waterways

Al Medvitz, who farms alfalfa and other crops, looks out over Sacramento River from a hill on his land near Rio Vista, Calif., on Monday, July 25, 2022. In dry winters like the one California just had, less fresh water flows down from the mountains into the Sacramento River, the state's largest. Medvitz wants approval from the state to build a small reservoir on the property to store fresh water for use in dry times. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

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By Associated Press

August 8, 2022 at 12:19 PM UTC

Rio Vista, Calif. (AP) -- Charlie Hamilton hasn't irrigated his vineyards with water from the Sacramento River since early May, even though it flows just yards from his crop.

Nearby to the south, the industrial Bay Area city of Antioch has supplied its people with water from the San Joaquin River for just 32 days this year, compared to roughly 128 days by this time in a wet year.