In the Cuyama Valley north of Santa Barbara, lush green fields stretch across the desert. Sprinklers spray thousands of acres to grow a single thirsty crop: carrots.
Wells and pumps pull groundwater from as deep as 680 feet, and the aquifer’s levels are dropping.
As the valley’s only water source shrinks, a bitter legal battle over water rights has arisen between carrot growers and the community. Residents are fighting back with a campaign urging everyone to stop buying carrots.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.