By Charles McCarthy, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Mar. 9--MADERA -- The Madera Irrigation District is in negotiations to sell parts of the land over its underground water bank, sparking renewed debate over whether local water might ultimately be sold in thirsty Southern California.

By Mark Grossi, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Mar. 2--Piece by piece, a park has been forming for two decades along 22 miles of the San Joaquin River at Fresno's doorstep, offering what city folk crave -- prime canoe-launching spots, fishing holes and wildlife havens.

By Russell Clemings and Dennis Pollock, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Feb. 29--Recent storms have boosted southern Sierra Nevada snowpacks, raising hopes for many farmers who saw their water deliveries slashed last year.

By E.J. Schultz, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Feb. 22--SACRAMENTO -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Schwarzenegger met privately with state lawmakers Thursday in an effort to jump-start stalled negotiations on a state water bond. There were no major breakthroughs, and significant hurdles remain.

By Mark Grossi, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Jan. 13--Three blizzards in the Sierra Nevada have put the San Joaquin Valley's water worries on ice -- for now. The storm siege over the first weekend of the year doubled the snowpack.