The Point 

This image is from the point. It is across the way from surf legend Jack O'Neill's house- ( he s often credited with inventing the wet suit) . In 1996 he used his years as a successful entrepreneur in the surf industry to start a nonprofit organization called O'Neill Sea Odyssey to provide students with hands on lessons in marine biology.

"It is not unusual to see upwards of 50 surfers at any given moment taking and 20 second ride that feels like an hour. You become one with the cool water and sparking waves. You go down the the face of the wall and drop in amongst your buddies only to come out the other side and  pump all the way in..."

This image was sent in by a local surfer in Santa Cruz, CA.

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BEACH  by any other name would be a CREEK

"This  creek is referred to as the “beach” in small town, Reedley, California.  The area remains lush with vegetation even in the current state of drought." 

This was submitted by Edward G. from Reedley , CA.

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Pine Flat Dam

" Growing up in the Central Valley the California drought is hard to ignore. This past summer has been disappointing because a lot of the crops, lakes, rivers, and canals have been drying out. However on this particular day the lake was full of life. There were fish in the water and a steady stream was pulling them along. It was as if the drought hadn't ever effected us. I will never forget how plentiful the cool water was or how even the trees surrounding the lake stood tall and green and lush. My friends and family were able to play and fish without a care in the world, and I'm thankful that we had such a grand lake to experience that in. Having lived the beauty of that day, I remain hopeful that things can get better and one day it really will be as if the drought hadn't effected us at all. "

This was submitted by Alyssa A. from  CA. 

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Mermaids EAT Crab Fries

Tales of mermaids have been around for centuries. First stemming from the myth of Syrian goddess Atargatis who dove into a lake to take the form of a fish but her astounding beauty stopped her from fully transforming and her top half remained human. Stories of the  fantastic creatures appear in Greek myth as the enchanting sirens who lure sailors to their death on the rocky shores. 

The mermaid became a part of European  lore with a spilt personality:Sometimes she is depicted as a beautiful, seductive maiden desired by lonely sailors and other times she is portrayed as a siren-esque beast waiting to drag men into the inky black depths on the sea.

This portrait was submitted by Susie P at a seafood festival in Southern CA.

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Dam

"This photo was taken on a spontaneous trip to the dam here in Fresno. While I was taking the photograph, I was eased by the calm water and tranquil surroundings. The water level is low from the drought but people still make the trek to the lake to avoid the heat." 

This image was submitted by Leah V. from Fresno, CA.

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Hose

"Water not only provides life but it has the power to cleanse and wash away an accumulation of gunk. "

This image was submitted by Lily C from Reedley, CA.

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Fields of Green

"This once green field now the color of wheat.

  Our California worries

  Rivers

  Streams

  Lakes all dry.

  We lose our sense of place. 

  Everything is thirsty and fallow.

  Our California worries."

This was submitted by Avelina G. She is  standing in a dry California field.

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 Beach Memories

For many, Labor day marks the end of summer even though temperatures are still high. The schools are in session and football is back in season.  During the summer, the  beach become mecca  for holiday travelers. But for those most interested in the enjoying the ocean without the crowd, the season is just beginning.

This image was submitted from California by a tourist.

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Dry Desert Washes

In the desert, rain is a rare occurrence. When it does rain, the water flows along a natural watercourse that conducts an intermittent or ephemeral flow, providing primary drainage for an area of land. This wash is referred to as an arroyo. Flash floods are common in arroyos during monsoon seasons or following a thunderstorm.

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On the Horizon

"This image is from a family trip to Monterey, CA. The different shades of blue in the ocean and the sky can almost be broken down into linear strips of color that blend into one.  Like the ocean and the sky, people are all different "shades of blue" - we come from different lifestyles, backgrounds, belief systems, cultures yet we blend together . But, when I look at this image I took standing on the beach with my family, I think, the human eye can only see  a few square miles of water when looking at the horizon yet the ocean extends across the earth. It's true expanse is far larger than we can focus. It reminds of how often I limit the scope of  focus only to that which I can see  and I easily forget the to look beyond the water horizon to the greater story. There are 7 billion other people on earth. This photograph serves as a reminder that we don't need to only focus on the water we can see around us, meaning our own problems, but we need to always remember the water we don't see." 

This image was submitted by Leslie P. from CA.

My Your Our Water