Californians are praying for rain this winter but the three-year-old drought is likely to persist or worsen in large parts of the state, says the Telegraph. Some 58 percent of the state is under “exceptional” drought, the direst rating used by the government. California grows 50 percent of U.S. fruits and vegetables along with 90 percent of the world’s almonds. Growers “warn of soaring costs in supermarkets across the country. Thousands of withered almond trees have been bulldozed,” says the Telegraph.
“Several California cities have received less rain than Death Valley.” The state has a target of reducing water use by 20 percent. “Next month California voters will decide whether the state should issue a $7.5 billion water bond which would fund the building of two new dams, plus desalination and recycling projects,” says the Telegraph.