NASA to study California drought

FRESNO, Calif. – NASA scientists have begun deploying satellites and other advanced technology to help California water officials assess the state’s record drought and better manage it, officials said Tuesday.

The California Department of Water Resources has partnered with NASA to use the space agency’s satellite data and other airborne technology to better measure the snowpack, groundwater levels and predict storms.

“It sounds like a cliche, but if they could put a man on the moon, why can’t we get better seasonal forecasting?” Jeanine Jones of the state’s Department of Water Resources said in an interview following the Sacramento announcement of the partnership.

Now they will. NASA scientists said they are also embarking on projects that use satellite images to help more accurately measure the number of fields farmers have chosen not to plant and where land is sinking because of excessive ground-water pumping.

Gov. Jerry Brown directed state officials to form such partnerships as part of his drought emergency declaration last month.