The House voted Tuesday to approve HR 5781, the California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Valadao (CA-21), passed by a vote of 230-182. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Following the vote, Rep. Valadao, along with cosponsors Reps. McCarthy (CA-23), Calvert (CA-42), LaMalfa (CA-01), McClintock (CA-04), and Nunes (CA-22) released a statementcalling the drought a natural disaster that demands immediate action:

A new study sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests ocean temperature patterns may play a role in drought conditions in California.

The study found that natural oceanic and atmospheric patterns may be linked to the buildup of high pressure ridges off the coast of California, which tend to block wet season storms and are associated with many California droughts, including the current three-year dry period.

The State Water Resources Control Board has announced that it will hold an informal public workshop to solicit input on potential next steps related to urban water conservation.

While State Board data shows that 90 billion gallons of water has been conserved from June 2014 to October 2014, as compared to the same time period in 2013, continued conservation and additional actions will likely be needed should the drought continue into 2015 as predicted.

The State Water Resources Control Board on Dec. 3 launched a new interactive online search tool, called “Is My Property Near a Nitrate-Impacted Water Well” that helps users determine if privately owned water wells are located within 2,000 feet of a “nitrate-impacted well.”  Nitrate-impacted water wells are defined as those that have had at least one detection of the pollutant at a level above the health standard since 2000.

More than 600 new wells have been dug this year in California to supply groundwater to thirsty communities and farms hit hard by the drought, pushing groundwater basins in most areas of the state to historically low levels, a new state study reveals.