A severe drought caused by intense heat in Australia may be a clear sign of conditions to come for the United States.

By Matt Weiser, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Jun. 13--Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday declared a drought emergency in nine Central Valley counties from Sacramento to Kern, ordering state agencies to carry out creative water deliveries to help.

Plans to build a peripheral canal to divert water around the Delta took a key step forward Monday when the Department of Water Resources launched a 30-month study on how to stabilize unreliable water supplies.

By Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Feb. 29--Despite stalled negotiations with Democrats on a comprehensive water plan, Gov.

By Judy Lin, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Nov. 12--STATEN ISLAND -- This time of year, when the sun falls earlier by the day and the corn has been harvested, is the best time to see the sandhill cranes.