with nearly 430,000-acres left unplanted and the loss of 17,000 jobs, the drought is costing california $2.2 billion. for the nation, there will be an increase in food prices for years to come. >> if it's dryer, it's going to be a disaster the world has never seen before. >> what will you do then? >> it's scary to think about it. >> dry spells and droughts are common here. bringing water is an engineering feat. twenty reservoirs transfer water to the central valley through canals and pumping stations. today, although major reservoirs way below capacity. we went to one to see. >> the san luis reservoir during the period of drought is only 20% full. >> these images show just how depleted some of california's reservoirs are today. these all time low water levels can be seen from space. i visited nasa's propulsion lab where they track water availability. >> we will be seeing more of this in the future and not just california, but across the whole southwestern united states, a more prolonged drought could become the no normal here. >> the perspective is unique. you get a holistic view of wat

says they already have been denied federal water and as a result hundreds of acres have been left unplanted. >>> coming up, despite the drought, some california homeowners are refusing to give up their green lawns. why they are able to get away with it. >>> rolling stone magazine is apologizing tonight for reporting on a gang rape they now admit did not happen. >>> organizers of the big music festival told their workers ♪ at kaiser permanente everything you need is under one roof. another way care and coverage together makes life easier. okay, a little easier. become a member of kaiser permanente. because together, we thrive. ♪ >>> an apology from "rolling stone magazine" from last year's story about a rape on university campus. the reason for the apology, the story was not true. the magazine posted the apology on its web site saying it officially is retracting the story. an investigation by columbia university graduate school of journalism failure. the story's author apologized. issuing a statement admitting she did not go far enough to verify the story. >>> with no end in sight to the dro

. >> in california 400,000 acres are unplanted at a cost of $800 million in loft revenue because of the drought. >> in bosnia, the worst floods swamped 172,000 acres of crops in may. devastating the country's agricultural industry. last wint inside polar vortex took a toll as the impact made big news on the vineyard. >> a crisis on the lake erie shore line. >> some call it global warming, global weirding. >> reporter: robert, founder of green sense farms is not worried about mother nature. he raises his crops here, inside a 30,000 square food warehouse, 50 miles outside of chicago. >> they are growing crops and warehouses, farmers say they can bring local produce from farm to table in places like this in as little as 24 hours. >> what are some of the major this? >> they take weather out of the equation. every day is consistent and the same. we get perfect plants every day. >> reporter: green sense farms opened doors in may and is supplying 1,000 cases of produce to stores and restaurants in the midwest. how do you meet the challenges? >> there's no book. no one has done this before. we

how do we unplant these seeds so these younger people have more hope and belief in america? >> you start by not comparing the crusades to what isis is doing. >> i agree. i guess adam was talking about me here. >> no. political correctness allows this weird rationalization of what's going on with isis and these militants, these terrorists with -- >> how did you possibly get all this back to barack obama? >> he is the one who compared isis in a speech about isis, brought up the crusades. >> recruiting was going on long before that. >> it's obviously picking up. >> i know the change in the next segment. >> i'll say something positive about you. >>> "forbes on fox" getting ready to go. what have you got? >> you see these folks celebrating. should that have americans worrying? >> a new d.c. push to cut down stuff like this going to send jobs up in smoke? see you soon. >>> first, you think this jetblue pilot running up and down the aisle screaming about 9/11 was crazy. wait until you hear what he is doing now. we give you the most free research reports, customizable charts, powerf

. >> farmers say they're cutting down orchards and leaving more than 400,000 acres unplanted. they just don't have the water. >>> let's see if you can get any relief at all from mother nature. a live look outside does show how dry our hills are in some spots. san rafael on the left. meteorologist rob mayeda joining us. you see a little bit of green out there op the hillsides. >> the good news is short term we will see some rain in the forecast. high level clouds coming in temperatures in the 50s and 60s outside. breezy outside this evening. by midnight mostly cloudy skies. for the easter egg hunts tomorrow morning, you may want to waterproof the dye or use plastic eggs out there. a chance of showers coming in the first system less than a half inch for most spots, maybe .10 of an inch of rain. the lowest snow pack in recent recorded history. fast forward through the next three days and watch what happens here. some of the higher peaks could pick up one to two feet of snow. snow levels as low as 3,500 feet. places like mount hamilton closer to the bay area could get a dusting as

as a result, hundreds of acres have been left unplanted. >>> with no end in sight to the drought many homeowners are removing their lawns. omar via frank a reports. >> it takes a lot of water. we will think neighborhoods use three times more water. >> we saw that over all 50% or more of water is used on outdoor irrigation. >> reporter: bigger house? >> yes. >> reporter: right now beverly hills does not ticket water wasters. they have been asked to turn off decorative fountains. but beverly hills may soon look different. they are planning to cut private consumption through strict enforcement. generally they find homeowners unmoved by the drought problem. >> i am going to mail you a letter about the watering days and stuff. >> in the future when we reduce the case, that leaves more days that no one is allowed to irrigate and enforcement is easier. there will be more violations written up. >> reporter: but the water short on shortage that money can't solve. >>> we are going to get a little bit of rain, i guess? >> we are going to get some substantial rain. >> they are still not getting i

. >> farmers say they're cutting down orchards, leaving more than 400,000 acres unplanted because they just don't have the water. and if you want to know exactly when the rain arrives in your neighborhood tomorrow you can track the storm with your nbcbay area app, and get a personalized forecast for your neighborhood. it is free for android and iphone devices. >>> it has been more than 43 months since students were kidnapped in mexico and presumed dead. a couple of parents had tried to rally support. nannette? >> reporter: that is right, peggy, there is no definitive evidence proof that these children have been killed or the students have been put to their death. so the families of the 43 have been touring the country and are still holding out hope that their children are still alive. organizers have put together three caravans in the united states, one back east another in the midwest. and one moving up the west coast. it's fitting that the one on the west coast stopped in san francisco's mission district where a good number of residents of mexican descent live and are interested in t

as a result, farmers say they are cutting down orchards, leaving more than 400,000 acres unplanted and causing people to lose their jobs. >> for those folks that say agriculture hasn't been impacted, i would disagree. explain to a farmer how they will pay their bills. >> and farmers who get supplies from the state water project will receive only 20% of what they requested this year. >>> students at san jose state gathered today to celebrate the life of the late form labor leaders, cesar chavez with a day of service. our chief photographer shows us how they honored his memory. >>> thank you for joining us. >> you are doing a good job. >> you guys could switch off, too. >> in celebration of cesar chavez's birthday. >> close to 200 students involvedded in community service. working in the local area around san jose state. it was really important for us as we were planning the event that we focus on communities that were close to campus, that we had a close connection with that population or the organization. >> he helped folks get better wages, better rights for labors. >> it was far reac

considered extreme or exceptional in three- quarters of the state, with rivers drying and fields unplanted, something's got to give. here's teri okita. >> reporter: in this mariposa county community, house boats that should be floating sit on dry land. collapsed train trestles underwater for 50 years, are visible again. the area's main water source is lake mcclure, is down to just 9% of capacity. >> the history of this reservoir we would be underwater right no now. >> reporter: john sweigard manages the merced irrigation network. >> if this reservoir continues to drop, we may get to the point where there is no water to release, and that's a very scary proposition but it's also a proposition that's staring us straight in the eye. >> reporter: in december residents here were ordered to cut water use by 30%. it wasn't enough. now homeowners like sally punte must cut consumption by half. >> we just hope that we're doing enough and you think before you pour anything out. >> reporter: she doesn't even empty her bath tub, collecting the used water in a bucket the district gave her and pouring it

. >> reporter: last year, the drought forced farmers to let 400,000 acres go unplanted. thousands of work erpz laid off. the new restrictions are part of a new reality. jay lund is a water expert at u.c. davis. >> if you're a farmer who only has a limited amount of water you're not going to invest that water in a low-profit crop. >> reporter: strawberries are a 30 crop but they make california farmers $2.2 billion a year. >> we could grow lima beans here with less water but not too many people want to have a lima bean smoothie. >> reporter: strawberries are one of the biggest exports in ventura county, but in other parts of california, farmers have discovered another kind of cash crop. charlie matthews has grown rice on his farm since 1965. this year he sold a fifth of his water rights to the city of los angeles, more than 300 miles away. he's making nearly twice as much money by not planting rice. >> there's much more than we ever expected to get, but at the same time, that just shows the desperation of the people that need it. >> reporter: desperation that is change th

the governor said 5000 acre are unplanted. wants to avoid paralyzing the entire economy. >> farm workers are out of work. and they are not watering their lawn or taking long showers and providing most of the fruits and vegetables of america. >> so little good news on the way. a storm a ratified in i sierra with another to the of snow on the way. that carries southern california through the dry season. and then the storm rolls in the second or southern california. and so the blame game will continue. why do we grow almond for export which each almond neats a gallon to grow. why can farmers pump groundwater when neighboring communities run dry. it is only april. >> back to you. william, in l.a. >> and potential for severe storms and tornados this week. hey, jd. >> that storm that they are talking about will bring beneficial moisture to california. and the threat of severe storms. and this week could change things. and you can see the moisture moving in the northwest and down in southern california. and that is great news and the

the farmers are cutting down orchards and leaving more than 400,000 orchards unplanted due to the lack of water. >> you can track any rain that falls in your neighborhood with our nbc bay area app. download it from free for the itunes app store or the android marketplace. >>> the bay area's yemeni community is calling on the u.s. government to do more to stem the violence in that country. that, after an oakland man was killed during a recent wave of violence in yemen. jamaal alibani's family says he was killed tuesday after he and a nephew were hit. he co-owned a gas station. a memorial service was held. he is an american citizen that went to his home tloond bring his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter to the east bay. he has seen them escalating violence as they want a return of the president who left the country. the rebels have overrun this. his family says he would still be alive if they would have evacuated their citizens before the violence got out of hand. >> things are getting worse and worse. airports are pretty much closed. there is no way for them to escape. >> the state

as a result of hundreds of acres have been left unplanted. >>> we are looking at some rain tonight.hat is a good thing. >> this was amazing. i was in southern california over the weekend and to hear them getting the message out through commercials or the newscast. they are, let's beat the drought. they have to understand they are not going to beat the drought. they are going to manage the drought. they are going to conserve. so we are very fortunate because some rain moving into the area. we have been on top of that drought for quite some time now. good morning, everybody. let's look at live radar right now. this is high-def doppler radar. look at the precipitation. it has been intensifying as the morning has been progression. this is moving in your area, but not until tonight. mostly cloudy skies. did you see the bird fly across our screen there? we do have some pretty chilly temperatures out the door. 37 degrees currently in santa rosa. otherwise, we are in the 40s. it is going to be a cool day. pretty typical for this time of the year as far as or averages are. 60s across the boa

. >> reporter: in other words, leave their fields unplanted, like this one cheek by jowl to the aqueduct. >> this water is headed for los angeles. >> reporter: but you can't fallow an almond orchard, if you don't water trees, you kill them, and the investment they represent. so, with little or no piped-in water, and hundreds of thousands of acres of thirsty nut trees in the central valley, there's a whole lot of drilling going on. but with prices at record highs because of global demand, wouldn't almost anyone keep harvesting? >> i think this is a very rational thing to do. >> reporter: agricultural economist richard howitt. >> and if the product is a healthy product and a good product, what's not to like? >> reporter: so when i read that it takes a gallon of water to produce one almond and i'm shocked by it, you think i'm using the wrong metric? >> absolutely. because i see the value of the water reflected in the value of the almond. and the value of the almond is based on how much people want it. >> reporter: in fact, consumers want it so much, dave phippen's farm in the northern centr

last year they left nearly 500,000 acres unplanted because of lack of water and they may be forced to leave more land barren this year, it's very dry out there. this is the fourth year of the drought, the april snowpack survey marks the worst april snowpack in history. this graph was also provided by the "l.a. times." as earn looks for solutions to our severe drop the governor may want to look to santa cruz. santa cruz actually cut back water use by 25% last year. the city offered rebates to replace lawns and also imposed mandatory water rationing of 15% to 25%, for water wasters they held water school, place for customers to learn what they were doing and how topix it. if they attended and passed the test their hefty fines were reduced. >> the water is not there, so i don't think we have much of a choice at this point so i think it's a step in the right direction. >> the water department will continue to hold water school this summer, perhaps we should all attend. we will have many other stories on the drought in the coming weeks. for details how the cuts will affect you, head to our

. -- unplanted.s not the ability to move areas from waters -- areas where water exists to areas that needed. reporter: at times like this just ensuring the farms survive may be the nut's greatest source of value. matt: why have farmers in california central valley expanded into almond's and other crops that are water intensive? >> when you are looking at the value of these crops there has been a soaring demand. going back 20 or 30 years farmers have decided that the amount of money they can make per acre foot of water is so much higher for things like almonds senate ins -- than it is for crops the traditionally grow . they have moved into that area with advice from agricultural advisors and yet they are now being left high and dry. matt: they started their decades ago and now lack the funds to move. i would think if you're going to farm something water intensive you would want to go someplace wetter than central california. willem: it is one of five so-called mediterranean climates around the world.