Publication: N.Y. Times

UCLA Expert: Alex Hall: Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Professor, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; Director, Center for Climate Science at UCLA; Faculty Director, UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

Synopsis: Groundwater stock is harder to measure in real time than snowpack and reservoir levels. But data suggests that, over the past two decades, groundwater supplies in the Central Valley have decreased precipitously during dry periods and recovered only modestly during wet ones.

UCLA News: “It’s sort of like if you are deep in debt,” Hall said. Suddenly encountering a lot of cash “might help bring you out of debt,” he said, “but you still need to build up your savings.”

Read more at N.Y. Times.