Catching Storm Runoff Could Ease Droughts, But It's No Quick Fix
After a freakishly dry February, El Nino has come roaring back with all the makings of a March Miracle. Water levels have improved and Thursday, the Dept. of Water Resources said their customers will be getting more water than they expected but still less than half of what they asked for. But officials also made it clear: California remains in a drought. Fortunately, there are engineers and scientists who've kept their eye on the water conservation ball during this wet season. They see that while Sierra snow is piling up again and reservoirs are rising, in thirsty cities, much of the rain that falls is gulped down by storm drains and ends up in the ocean. This runaway rain is starting to get serious attention as a potential source of water.
New Book Explores Woody Guthrie's Formative L.A. Years
The great American songwriter Woody Guthrie is usually associated with his home state of Oklahoma and the folk scene of New York City's Greenwich Village. But it was his time in Los Angeles that helped define his politics. Those years are the subject of a new book, "Woody Guthrie L.A., 1937 to 1941."
Despite Rainfall, Tulare County Still Relying on Water Tanks
After suffering dry wells and slogging through the year relying on trucked-in and bottled water, some residents of the Central Valley's Tulare County likely thought the heavy rains would replenish their wells. As it turns out, all that rain doesn't necessarily translate into a reliable source of drinking water. Many of the county's wells could be contaminated and more than 1,000 remain dry.
Welcome to the Signal Room, Secret Venue for San Francisco's Arts Underground
In the middle of the San Francisco Bay there are two small pieces of land -- Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island -- and for nearly a century they were the domain of the military. If you've ever driven over the Bay Bridge, you've crossed these islands. And without knowing it you've come very close to what has been a tightly-held secret. It's a place where a group of artists are giving life to a relic from the island's past -- and hoping to save it from demolition.