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Billions of Gallons of Water Are Being Stolen in California

Droughts in the state have made water theft a growing problem.

By Mike Pomranz July 28, 2021

It sounds like the plot of a post-apocalyptic movie: Water thieves roaming scorched terrain in search of nature's most precious resource. But in California, water theft is a massive reality with numbers that are hard to comprehend — and as droughts increasingly afflict the state, so does the extent of this illegal activity.

Over 12 billion gallons of water have likely been stolen in California since 2013, John Nores — the former head of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marijuana Enforcement Team — recently told CNN. Nores dealt with the issue firsthand since officials believe much of the water is stolen to support illegal cannabis growing operations.

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