California is the world’s largest grower of almonds, with trees on 860,000 acres, a crop that be imperiled especially in the drought now entering its fourth year, says the New York Times. The trees require more water than other crops “but the farmers choosing permanent crops cannot fallow them in a dry year without losing years of investment.” A lawyer specializing in water issues tells the newspaper that almonds “have totally changed the game of water…It’s hardened demand in the Central Valley.” The newspaper points to efforts in Congress to override environmental regulations on use of water from federal projects.
Staving baby squirrels are jumping out of their nests to look for food, one of the numerous ways the California drought is affecting wildlife, says the Los Angeles Times. “California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said drought has forced more bears and deer to venture onto mountain highways, where many are struck and killed by vehicles.” A spokeswoman for a wildlife group in Loomis, Calif, says there may be “pockets of local extinction” for some amphibians.