An empty boat dock sits on the dry lakebed of Folsom Lake on March 20, 2014 in El Dorado Hills, California.
Los Angees (AP) - California voter (click here) on Tuesday approved spending $7.5 billion to improve the state's outdated and undersized water storage and delivery system amid a historic drought.
Proposition 1 had about two-thirds support among nearly 2.6 million votes counted, with millions more ballots left to tally. It calls for building two new reservoirs, investing in conservation measures, water recycling and groundwater cleanup.
Gov. Jerry Brown, who spent more time and money campaigning for the bond measure than his own re-election, said it will help California make investments in water that will pay dividends during future dry periods.
"I just spent the last several months saying, 'save water, save money,'" he said. "These are pillars because water is life. It is the basis of our wellbeing and also our economy."
In a rare show of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature gave nearly unanimous support for the measure, which directs the state to issue $7.1 billion in new borrowing and redirect $425 million from past ballot propositions....
