Record December Rains Draw Spawning Salmon to Marin County Creeks
In July, Marin County creeks were almost bone dry. Now there's so much water running through them that salmon are spawning like no one has seen for decades.
Watch CBS News
In July, Marin County creeks were almost bone dry. Now there's so much water running through them that salmon are spawning like no one has seen for decades.
For the second time in a decade, Californians will face mandatory restrictions governing their outdoor water use as the state endures another drought and voluntary conservation efforts have fallen short.
While major storms to start the season are making a difference against the drought, some parts of the Bay Area continue to be under "extreme drought" conditions.
Early season storms that dumped large amounts of snow helped bring the Sierra snowpack to above normal, but California remains in a drought, state water officials said Thursday.
After months of being locked in the grip of an extreme drought, December's wintery onslaught has dumped several inches of rain in the San Francisco Bay Area and more than 11 feet of snow in the Sierra to considerably eased those parched dry conditions.
While water officials are still advising residents to be conservative with water use, recent rains have helped to ease drought conditions in the South Bay.
As people hiked along the Cascade Creek in Mill Valley on Thursday, many were thrilled to see water rushing alongside them.
A second atmospheric river has moved through, and there is more rain in the forecast. Not to jinx anything, but California is having a good winter - so far. But the state is going to need a lot more to recover from its recent dry spell.
The latest atmospheric river to pass through Northern California has prompted Marin Water officials to consider rolling back water restrictions, despite current drought conditions.
Farmers in the Bay Area were excited that the latest storm brought another round of much-needed rain in the hopes it will bring them closer to the end of what has been a difficult drought.
Rain across the East Bay on Monday created flooding in some cities, but the water collected over the weekend also helped to fill up regional reservoirs. They are still far from capacity because of the drought.
The National Weather Service on Sunday afternoon updated its Bay Area forecast to note that the atmospheric river has shifted its course southward, bringing more stormy weather to the Big Sur/Santa Lucia areas of Monterey County.
While the approaching rain is good news, Californians should all hope it's just a preview of the next couple of months.
PG&E is making preparations for a strong, atmospheric river-driven storm that may cause power outages in the Bay Area when it arrives this weekend, officials said Friday.
An atmospheric river building in intensity out in the Pacific moved ever closer to the Northern California coast Thursday, carrying with it the promise of much-needed rain beginning Sunday and rolling into next week.
The Alameda County Water District officially declared a water shortage emergency Thursday night and new restrictions are in place, effective immediately.
It is going to take more than sporadic rain showers to make any progress against the drought. It will take more storms, and a lot of them. In places like Lake Sonoma, the big October storm is running out of legs.
A Northern California water agency wants to take a big step toward helping counties in danger of going dry.
The city of San Jose this week implemented a rule to limit outdoor irrigation to two days a week as part of an effort to reduce water use by 15 percent amid the ongoing drought.
After months of severe drought conditions, California may see some rainfall in the near future,, forecasters said Friday.
There are now two districts in the Bay Area with tough drought restrictions in place. San Jose Water and Marin Municipal Water District customers have a choice: cut back on their water usage, or pay up.
Despite recent rains, state water officials sent out a warning to water districts that it doesn't have enough water to send out, including many in the Bay Area.
It may feel like the Bay Area has had some good rain, so far in 2021, but starting December 1, parts of Marin County will implement tough new water restrictions.
A group of researchers at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have come up with a rather frightening future scenario -- climate change could significantly dwindled down the Sierra snowpack, dramatically impacting water supplies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is urging nearly 3 million water customers throughout the Bay Area to cut water usage by 10%, as it declares a water shortage emergency due to the ongoing drought.
Saikat Chakrabarti is hoping to shape San Francisco's future, running to replace longtime Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress.
A stabbing in San Francisco's Chinatown caught on camera on Thursday left the victim severely injured, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
Police in Berkeley arrested three people in connection with a home repair scam targeting the city's elderly residents, saying they are searching for additional suspects.
A man suspected of multiple bank robberies in the North Bay was arrested Thursday in a multi-agency operation, authorities said.
A teacher aide on California's Central Coast was arrested for allegedly abusing a nonverbal special needs student by striking the teen with a stick, police said.
Saikat Chakrabarti is hoping to shape San Francisco's future, running to replace longtime Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress.
A stabbing in San Francisco's Chinatown caught on camera on Thursday left the victim severely injured, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
Police in Berkeley arrested three people in connection with a home repair scam targeting the city's elderly residents, saying they are searching for additional suspects.
A man suspected of multiple bank robberies in the North Bay was arrested Thursday in a multi-agency operation, authorities said.
A teacher aide on California's Central Coast was arrested for allegedly abusing a nonverbal special needs student by striking the teen with a stick, police said.
A stabbing in San Francisco's Chinatown caught on camera on Thursday left the victim severely injured, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
Inside a family garage on the Peninsula, instead of seeing parked cars, one can find bins packed with clean, used school uniforms and two busy young brothers.
Skee-Ball is a game most people fondly remember playing as a kid, but for Joey the Cat, he turned fun and games into a profitable business.
Two San Francisco police officers assigned to Mayor Daniel Lurie's security detail were injured during an altercation with two men Thursday evening in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood, officials said.
Three adults and five juveniles were arrested after two people were stabbed on Wednesday at San Francisco's Dolores Park, police said.
Police in Berkeley arrested three people in connection with a home repair scam targeting the city's elderly residents, saying they are searching for additional suspects.
Fire crews rescued a mountain biker on Friday who crashed in a remote area of a regional park in Contra Costa County, fire officials said.
Police in Pleasanton are searching for a suspect in multiple residential break-ins, including two separate incidents in which a couple and a teenager were attacked.
Teachers in the Dublin Unified School District in the East Bay are preparing for a potential strike if a new labor agreement is not reached.
City leaders in Oakland have officially set a rally to honor Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu after winning gold at the Winter Olympics.
A teacher aide on California's Central Coast was arrested for allegedly abusing a nonverbal special needs student by striking the teen with a stick, police said.
Two vehicles traveling on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale were damaged after a tall tree fell onto the freeway Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert Jonsen said the cost of doing business has dramatically changed since the last time they negotiated a contract in 2014.
A San Francisco Bay Area woman who was dubbed a "party mom" by prosecutors has been convicted in connection with hosting parties for her teenage son and her friends, in which she encouraged drinking and sexual acts during the pandemic.
Dozens of residents of an apartment complex in the South Bay have been displaced following a fire that began in a carport Monday afternoon.
A man suspected of multiple bank robberies in the North Bay was arrested Thursday in a multi-agency operation, authorities said.
A Santa Rosa man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in a shooting at a shopping center in 2024, prosecutors said.
The California Highway Patrol arrested two drivers on Highway 101 in Sonoma County early Monday morning after they allegedly took part in a street race in which a third driver was filming.
Officers arrested a suspect with an outstanding out-of-state murder warrant in Vallejo, police said Friday.
A suspect is accused of animal cruelty after hundreds of birds and evidence consistent with bird fighting were located at a home just outside of Santa Rosa city limits on Wednesday, authorities said.
The San Jose Sharks signed goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year, $6 million contract extension before the trade deadline.
Brandon Podziemski had 26 points, De'Anthony Melton added 23 and the short-handed Golden State Warriors outlasted the Houston Rockets 115-113 in overtime Thursday night.
The San Francisco 49ers are hiring former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as a defensive assistant on coach Kyle Shanahan's staff.
City leaders in Oakland have officially set a rally to honor Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu after winning gold at the Winter Olympics.
The San Jose Sharks signed forward Kiefer Sherwood to a five-year, $28.75 million extension six weeks after acquiring him in a trade from Vancouver.
A stabbing in San Francisco's Chinatown caught on camera on Thursday left the victim severely injured, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
Police in Berkeley arrested three people in connection with a home repair scam targeting the city's elderly residents, saying they are searching for additional suspects.
A man suspected of multiple bank robberies in the North Bay was arrested Thursday in a multi-agency operation, authorities said.
A teacher aide on California's Central Coast was arrested for allegedly abusing a nonverbal special needs student by striking the teen with a stick, police said.
Police in Pleasanton are searching for a suspect in multiple residential break-ins, including two separate incidents in which a couple and a teenager were attacked.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said his company and the Department of Defense "have much more in common than we have differences."
At the meeting, Waymo said there are about 70 dispatchers at a call center in the Philippines to assist cars in the company's global fleet that require human intervention. But on the night of Dec 20, they said the system was simply overwhelmed.
After the Trump administration cut it off, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told CBS News in an exclusive interview Friday night he wants to work with the military — but only if it addresses the firm's concerns.
President Trump said he will give federal agencies six months to phase out their use of Anthropic's AI products.
The 20-year-old plaintiff alleges that using YouTube and Instagram from a young age intensified her depression and led to suicidal thoughts.
Tests of dozens of baby formulas by Consumer Reports found that nearly half contained potentially dangerous chemicals.
A trial has been set in the San Francisco Bay Area for a Florida woman accused of providing a cosmetic injection that killed a woman who was known as a Kim Kardashian lookalike, prosecutors said.
USALESS.COM is recalling its Rhino Choco VIP 10X product due to the undeclared presence of Tadalafil, which is the active ingredient in Cialis.
A Santa Clara County resident with measles may have exposed others while dining at a restaurant in Burlingame earlier this week, health officials said.
Multiple elephant seal pups along the Northern California coast have tested positive for the deadly avian influenza, or bird flu, according to new research from the University of California.
Saikat Chakrabarti is hoping to shape San Francisco's future, running to replace longtime Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Russia's government is in "dialogue" with Iranian leadership representatives.
The U.S. military has formally designated artificial intelligence firm Anthropic a supply chain risk, a sweeping move that could cut it off from military contracts.
The announcement comes amid criticism of DHS spending under Noem, and as Congress has allowed the department's funding to lapse.
The House resolution to constrain Trump's war powers failed in a 212 to 219 vote, with four Democrats joining all but two Republicans to kill it.
A man has been arrested and accused of a hate crime after a San Francisco church was vandalized over the weekend, police said.
A Yosemite park ranger was fired last year after helping to display a transgender pride flag from El Capitan.
After more than two years of renovations, the historic Castro Theatre is back open for business.
A large Pride flag has been removed from the Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village. The National Park Service said it did so under guidance from the federal government.
The billionaire and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention and advocacy for LGBTQ young people.
Friday, March 6, marks 100 years since the historic location opened its doors, but they'll be celebrating a little early with free movies on Wednesday.
Along with the "True Lies" co-stars, the California Hall of Fame's new inductees will include Olympians Carl Lewis and Janet Evans and Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles.
The design process for the floats began in November, with a crew of nearly 30 people working to put the final product together.
Organizers of the annual Outside Lands Music Festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco announced the lineup for the upcoming 2026 event.
A trial has been set in the San Francisco Bay Area for a Florida woman accused of providing a cosmetic injection that killed a woman who was known as a Kim Kardashian lookalike, prosecutors said.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oakland Unified School District has seen an alarming spike in the number of unhoused students in the school system who deal with a host of challenges far beyond what most children face.
Meteorologist and CBS News Bay Area's resident pilot Lt. Jessica Burch got a treat during Fleet Week, taking to the skies with one of the Blue Angels.
A Bay Area man discovered his devastating loss left him with a new opportunity to rethink how he lives -- follow his journey in virtual reality, 360-degree video.
A groundbreaking medical study involving the UCSF Medical Center has shown some colorectal cancer patients can safely skip radiation treatment and enjoy a potentially higher quality of life.
Every day, San Francisco bar pilot Captain Zach Kellerman goes through what might just be the world's most dangerous commute.
An emergency shelter about to open in San Jose on land owned by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency is getting pushback from opponents who say it takes money away from desperately-needed permanent affordable housing. Devin Fehely reports.
Meteorologist Darren Peck shows why the weekend will see drier and warmer conditions.
A new video posted on TikTok shows the beginning of a confrontation between a San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's bodyguard and a man on the street in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. Devin Fehely reports.
A Democratic candidate for California governor has dropped out of the race, but the Democratic field is still packed with eight other candidates. Kenny Choi reports on what to expect ahead of the June 2 primary.
Saikat Chakrabarti is hoping to shape the city's future. He is running to replace longtime Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress, arguing that San Francisco needs a new generation of leadership. Lauren Toms reports.
In 2025, KPIX is moving to a new community service award: the CBS News Bay Area Icon Award. Submit nominations for an outstanding community hero at kpix.com/icon.
It's the most wonderful time of the year for a South Bay woman who has played Mrs. Claus for more than 40 years for the children of North San Jose's Alviso District.
For residents of the Oakland Hills, the prospect of another wildfire always remains a concern. This week's Jefferson Awards winner has made it his mission to make the hills and other high-risk areas safer.
In East Palo Alto -- where state education numbers show more than nine in ten public school students are low income and more than half are English learners -- many are finding hope and connection at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula.
This week's Jefferson Award winner is Army veteran who continues to live a life of service into his 80s, by feeding hundreds of San Francisco families a week.
A Bay Area man who overcame tremendous obstacles to excel in school has made it his mission to gear up other students for success in the classroom and in life.
For Students Rising Above scholar Josh Collins it took moving across the country to realize the value of his Bay Area family.
Samir Hooker had to grow up fast after his stepfather was shot dead 12 years ago. Now he is watching over his mom and sister while attending UC Berkeley.
It's hard enough to graduate from one of the most prestigious schools in the country when you're the first in your family to go to college. Imagine doing that while you're also trying to protect your parents from being deported?
Some students who are the first in their families to go to college face the challenge of balancing a rigorous academic load while still working to help support their family back home.