3 Years Of Drought Taking Heavy Toll On California's Groundwater Supply
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) -- State officials say three years of drought are taking a heavy toll on California's groundwater supplies.
Officials for the state's Department of Water Resources reported Tuesday that hundreds of new wells dug this year have contributed to drawing down water to historically low levels, causing some land to sink. The report comes as Gov. Jerry Brown initiated new laws to start managing the state's underground water.
Mark Cowin, director of the water resources department, says that without careful groundwater management, California risks losing a water source that sustains cities and farms, especially during drought.
The report says Fresno and Tulare counties have seen the most new wells dug with more than 350 each.
It says a quarter of the state's important underground basins are not adequately monitored.
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