Sinking feeling in west Fresno County is for real
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The west side of Fresno County has dipped as much as 30 feet since 1925, leaving roadways warped and utility poles tilted, according to scientists.
U.S. Geological Survey officials are now worried it will damage Interstate 5 and the California Aqueduct, which carries water to Southern California.
The formerly flat land sank when farmers pumped water from deep underground. In the 1970s, people were forced from their homes when the ground south of Mendota went from flat to rolling hills. The land is expected to sink slightly again this year because the dry winter will prompt growers to use groundwater rather than water from irrigation canals, scientists said.
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