California Cuts Water to Some Farms and Cities
Severe drought drives new restrictions on use of the Sacramento River.
Facing severe drought, California's state water board told hundreds of users of the Sacramento River, including farms and some small cities, that they must stop taking water from the river.
The notices are the first such mandatory restrictions of water rights in the state this year, though officials and experts predict that more tightening will be announced in the coming weeks.
The reason for the action is simple, says George Kostyrko, a spokesman for the state's water board: The Sacramento River watershed, which serves much of northern and central California, does not currently have enough surface water to provide for all registered water users.
That's why the board, in accordance with state law, began on Wednesday evening to issue notices to 2,648
