Ian James is a reporter who focuses on water in California and the West. Before joining the Los Angeles Times in 2021, he was an environment reporter at the Arizona Republic and the Desert Sun. He previously worked for the Associated Press as a correspondent in the Caribbean and as bureau chief in Venezuela. He is originally from California.
Latest From This Author
Longfin smelt have suffered major declines in the San Francisco Bay estuary. Now the federal government has declared the fish an endangered species.
July 30, 2024
Even after a year and a half of wet weather, research shows the American West has experienced the driest 25-year period in 1,200 years. When might the megadrought end?
July 30, 2024
Farmers in one California county are challenging state officials’ effort to crack down on groundwater overpumping. A judge gives growers a temporary reprieve.
July 27, 2024
The Park fire’s growth amid steady winds and hot temperatures has been dramatic. It is the seventh-largest wildfire in California history and still growing.
July 28, 2024
Harris, a Californian who calls climate change an ‘existential threat,’ has prioritized investments in clean energy jobs and environmental justice.
July 23, 2024
California’s Imperial Irrigation District is preparing to pay growers to temporarily stop watering hay crops to ease strains on the Colorado River.
July 11, 2024
Amid extreme heat, California officials adopted water-saving rules for cities — a decision that sparked debate about whether the measures go far enough.
July 9, 2024
Residents in California’s Cuyama Valley tell legislators that a court case over groundwater could benefit big carrot-growing companies and ruin their community.
July 3, 2024
A California environmental group has sued the U.S. Forest Service to challenge the use of water from a national forest by bottled water company BlueTriton Brands.
June 28, 2024
California water officials have estimated that the total costs of drinking water solutions for communities statewide amount to $11.5 billion over the next five years.
June 26, 2024