Louisiana. It's right here in the Central Valley...the town of Corcoran...just up the road from us in Kings County. EW: Corcoran, California...home to some 20- thousand people. It's known as the "farming capital" of the state, but it's for that same reason why this city some 65 miles north of Bakersfield could soon be known as the sinking capital of the state. Over the last 14 years, some parts of the city have sunk as much as 11.5 Feet. Lois Henry "It's such a bizare concept. What do you mean the ground is sinking?" EW: Journalist Lois Henry is the founder of the independent, non-profit news site SJV Water. She spent more than a year reporting on the forces causing the land beneath Corcoran to sink. The Central Valley in general, has been sinking over the years. The primary culprit...agricultur e. It happens when farmers are unable to get enough surface water for their crops, they're forced to pump out huge amounts of water from the below the ground. When underground water resorvoirs known as acquifers are depleted too much, the land sinks, and that's exactly what's happening in Corcoran, but at a rate unmatched in California. Henry: "This whole giant area is sinking because of the ground water pumping. Corcoran's at the center -- if you had a heat map, it would be in the red or purple." EW: In fact, this map from the state of California shows just that. The Corcoran area -- seen in red -- sunk roughly five feet in just the last five years. Eytan Wallace: "The subsidence of the land surrounding Corcoran has happened at a glacial pace over the last several decades, nearly imperceptable to the naked eye. Perhaps the most obvious result of the subsidence -- this levee I'm standing on. The levee sank 7 feet and had to built back up at a cost of $10 million to local taxpayers." Fred Figueroa: "Well yeah, I didn't realize it was sinking that fast." EW: Fred Figueroa founded Lake Bottom Brewery and Distillery Founder in downtown Corcoran a couple years ago. He worries about the impacts land subsidence could have on the local economy. Figueroa: "That creates a problem somewhere down the line where we will be able to have people come in or whatever." EW: Damage to the city's infastructure and flooding are also big concerns. The issue has garnered the attention of Congressman David Valadao. He represents this area. David Valadao: "We're seeing damage not just in Kings County, but all throughout the Valley. And so all of our communities are struggling. And so all of our communites for the most part rely on underground water as well, so their wells are just as vulnerable as the farmers." EW: While he acknowledges the land subsidence in Corcoran is nearly irrerversable, he says there are some solutions. He wants the legislature and Congress to pass legislation making it easier for places like Corcoran to store water above ground. But until that happens, Figueroa: "I don't see it getting any better." Henry: "Yeah, you're going to see a lot more pumping throghout the valley and a lot more pumping in that area." And that will surely lead to more sinking. Eytan: Jim Scott will dive even further into this issue on Kern County in
