"The equivalent of a two-story house has been sunken in the town."Too much pumping waterDue to its huge irrigation system, a California town that was severely affected by drought is slowly sinking into the earth.According to the Agence-France Presse, Corcoran is considered the agricultural capital of California. Farmers have had to draw water from underground aquifers to sustain their efforts over the past century to irrigate their crops. Unexpectedly, this has resulted in a significant drawback: the town has fallen into the ground over the years.According to Jeanine Jones, a manager at California Department of Water resources speaking to AFP, the town has actually sunk the equivalent of a 2-story house.Climate Change and DroughtRecent droughts have made the problems worse. Farmers are now pumping more water out of the ground than it takes to replace it.AdvertisementAdvertisementRaul Atilano from Corcoran told the AFP that there are too many farmers pumping around. Water restrictions have been imposed by the local government on farmers in the area.Combating Big CorporationsAccording to AFP, the majority of groundwater is being pumped by large agricultural companies. These companies are the largest employers in the region. Corcoran's citizens have not voiced concerns about this.According to Atilano, Atilano told AFP that they are afraid of being criticized and could lose their jobs. I dont care. Since 1992, I've been retired.Corcoran's tragic and bizarre story is all too familiar, and will only get more as man-made climate change increases its impact.AdvertisementAdvertisementREAD MORE: California's drought-stricken town sinks into the ground [AFP via Yahoo News]Additional information on climate change: Video of Turkish wildfires is like a vision of hell
