Free Republic

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office says he will declare a state of emergency after three years of below-average rain and snowfall in California. The drought has forced farmers to fallow their fields, put thousands of agricultural workers out of work and prompted conservation measures in cities throughout the state. ... Federal water managers plan to temporarily cut off water this March to thousands of California farms. The state has said it probably would deliver just 15 percent of the water contractors have requested this year.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Monday in seven northern and central California counties, a move aimed at putting more resources into protecting the state’s waterlogged levy system. The governor’s declaration said that with more rain expected after the rainiest March on record, people and property are in "extreme peril." State water officials fear the heavy rain could weaken some levees to the point of failure. They took advantage of a weekend lull in the storms to patch some weak spots in the system but were still concerned. Levee repairs are typically done in the summer, when the...