Edelson

DROUGHT

It’s slow, quiet, and relentless. Drought doesn’t show up in one dramatic moment, it creeps in as reservoirs drop, wells run dry, and the ground cracks open under a relentless sun. I’ve stood on parched lakebeds and beside stranded houseboats, always struck by how much a place changes when the water disappears. This kind of extreme dry used

to be rare, but as California swings harder between drought and deluge, it’s lasting longer and biting deeper every year. Documenting water, or the lack of it, is one of the stories I care most about, so I hope my passion for telling these visual stories is apparent through this set of images taken across the drought zone.

California’s Lake Oroville highlights reversal of severe-drought …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Montana Mountain, Mountain range, Natural Atlas, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
After Fires and Droughts, California Prepares for Heavy Rain – ny times, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Stunning before-and-after photos show how heavy rain and snow …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
A year of extreme weather in the American west, in pictures, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Why California Drought Isn’t Over Yet, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Aerial photography, Photography, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Californians could see mandatory water cuts amid drought, photo by Josh Edelson/AP
Badlands National Park, South Dakota 240, Lake Oroville, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Aerial photography, Photography, Bird’s-eye view, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California, Vehicle registration plate, Lake Tahoe, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Droughts in California, Miss California USA, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Photos: California’s Growing Drought Disaster, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
A problem Silicon Valley can’t solve: water, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Drought saps California reservoirs as hot, dry summer looms, photo by Josh Edelson/AP
Strange Desire, Blu-ray disc, California, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Drought saps California reservoirs as hot, dry summer looms, photo by Josh Edelson/AP
Granular material, Silicon dioxide, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Waterman Mountain, Mount Davis, Mount Everest, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Water storage, Water resource management, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Dirt road, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Aerial photography, Photography, Nature photography, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
This is how much rain California needs to get out of the drought, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Black-tailed prairie dog, Dog Breed, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
These Apocalyptic Photos Show Just How “Critically Low” Water …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Folsom Lake, Lake Oroville, Lake Sonoma, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Photography, Aerial photography, Ретрофити ShadowM, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Plastic bottle, Glass bottle, Beer Bottle, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
MINI Hatch, Mini Electric, MINI Aceman, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Chain-link fencing, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Dramatic photos show how storms filled California reservoirs, photo by Josh Edelson/AP
Pickup truck, Coupé utility, Toyota Hilux, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Emergency Drought Assistance Will Be Needed in California for Years, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Plastic bottle, Drinking water, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Waterman Mountain, Mount Davis, Mountain range, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Sign language, American Sign Language, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
More than 70 water agencies in California could face water …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Waterman Mountain, Mount Davis, Mount Everest, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Lodgepole pine, Black spruce, Balsam fir, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Lodgepole pine, Black spruce, Eastern white pine, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Live at TD Music Hall, The Ridge, Howling Turtle, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
How Two California Reservoir Water Levels Changed After Record Rain, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Crater Lake, Aerial photography, Photography, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Philadelphia Freeway, Think Free, Roc Nation, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Girder bridge, Arch bridge, Beam bridge, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Aerial photography, Photography, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Fixed link, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
‘Drought-free’ California? Lake Oroville highlights shift in amazing …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
A year of extreme weather in the American west, in pictures, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, Be Here Now, Don’t Look Back in Anger, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
‘Drought-free’ California? Lake Oroville highlights shift in amazing …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
After Fires and Droughts, California Prepares for Heavy Rain – ny times, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California, Vehicle registration plate, Lake Tahoe, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Natural Atlas, Mountain range, Mount Blue Sky, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville highlights reversal of severe-drought …, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Californians could see mandatory water cuts amid drought, photo by Josh Edelson/AP
Aerial photography, Photography, Folsom Lake, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
Why California Drought Isn’t Over Yet, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California drought documentary photography by Josh Edelson for AFP and Getty Images
Aerial photography, Photography, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
California’s Lake Oroville fills to 100% capacity for 2nd straight year, photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
Droughts in California, Lake Oroville, Miss California USA, documentary photography by Josh Edelson/AFP