More of California's Central Valley Is Sinking

Over taxed groundwater supplies are causing the ground to sink in the Central Valley. Subsidence has been identified in a new location, farther south than previous incidents.

1 minute read

December 3, 2017, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Agriculture

Dennis Silvas / Shutterstock

A southern portion of California's Central Valley is sinking, according to a recent report, continuing a disturbing trend of subsidence throughout the region as groundwater is over drafted. "The newest discovery is in Lindsay along the Friant-Kern Canal," according to an article by Rich Rodriguez.

In the past five months the land has dropped five inches. Five inches may not seem like a lot but officials with the Friant Water Authority say it could reduce water flow by 60 percent. That would impact farmers north of Fresno all the way south to Bakersfield.

For more on the subsidence in the Central Valley, see coverage by Planetizen correspondent Irvin Dawid from 2015.

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