In Kern County, Calif., trendy fruits like pomegranate are at the center of a number of contentious lawsuits over water resource management.
An inherent dearth of surface water, coupled with constant demand to sustain the state's gargantuan agricultural economy, foster conflicts among groups with vested interests in California's limited water supply.
For decades, water banking was the answer to the region's water shortages. By no means perfect, it is essentially "a system in which water-rights holders - mostly in the rural West - store water in underground reservoirs either for their own future use or for leasing to fast-growing urban areas," explains Felicity Barringer of The New York Times.
However, as trendy fruits like pistachio and pomegranate entered the mainstream over the last decade, Central Valley farmers responded to the increased demand by switching exclusively to permanent crops that require even more water year-round and thus "taking away the option of letting fields lie fallow in dry years." This, in turn, throws off the precarious equilibrium of the region's water banks and lawsuits over water rights ensue.
Currently, there are three cases in court, one of which "challenges the 1990s deal that transferred the Kern Water Bank from the state to a group of water suppliers controlled by the Resnicks," who own POM Wonderful, a company that sells pomegranates and pomegranate-based products.
FULL STORY: Storing Water for a Dry Day Leads to Suits

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie