Dry February sends California back to drought: 'This hasn't happened in 150 years'

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3. Trump signs order diverting water TO California farmers against state wishes,

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142435627

Trump signs order diverting water to California farmers against state wishes, The Hill, 2/20/20

President Trump on Wednesday signed an order in California to reengineer the state's water plans, completing a campaign promise to funnel water from the north to a thirsty ag industry and growing population further south.

The ceremonial order comes after the Department of Interior late last year reversed its opinion on scientific findings that for a decade extended endangered species protections to various types of fish - a review that had been spurred by the order from Trump.

Trump said the changes to the "outdated scientific research and biological opinions" would now help direct "as much water as possible, which will be a magnificent amount, a massive amount of water for the use of California farmers and ranchers."

... Critics fear the new plan, which would allow large quantities of water to be diverted from the San Francisco Bay Delta to the Central Valley in order to irrigate farmland, would ultimately harm chinook salmon and the delta smelt, a finger-sized fish that for three decades has stood in the way of the diversion.